This is how it feels (Hamilton 081218)

[Jonnyboy]

I must admit, I was pretty nervous about today’s game as I’d wondered just how we’d be set up, who’d be selected to start and what formation we would adopt. The nervousness was of course born out of the alleged disharmony in the camp and the less than happy reaction of fans on the messageboard to Neil’s ‘disappearance’ from media duties and the quite blunt words of Garry Parker as he stepped in to the hot seat. Would it be possible to put all of that aside and go out and play in a manner befitting our club? I certainly hoped so as I took my seat in the stand.

When the teams were announced, I heard the Hibs keeper named as Adam Bogdan but as the players came out onto the park, Rocky was the keeper. This baffled me a bit but I believe Adam injured himself in the warm up and that in a bizarre twist of fate the Hamilton keeper did exactly the same thing. With both Nelom and Stevenson in the starting eleven there was early guesswork as to who would play left back and who would play in midfield. It became apparent very early on the Lewis was in midfield alongside Slivka, Mallan and Boyle. I took this as an attempt to stiffen up a midfield that had been underperforming in recent weeks and I have to say that by and large it worked.

Early chances were quite scarce at both ends although Hibs had the better of possession. A superb pass from the right saw Kamberi race into the box and fail by inches to make the connection that surely would have opened the scoring. Next, a cracking through ball by Boyle saw Shaw racing in to try and connect. He and the keeper arrived simultaneously and as Woods smothered the ball, Shaw’s forward momentum brought contact. The keeper was down for a while but after treatment was able to continue. At the other end, Nelom put in a fantastic challenge to deny Bingham a golden opportunity to score before Mallan had two fine efforts saved. The first was a blockbuster from about twenty five yards that nearly knocked Woods off his feet as he parried it into the air before recovering to grasp the loose ball. The second was from a free kick out on the Hibs left which he struck at goal only for Woods to block and a Hamilton defender cleared his lines.

A double save by Rocky was proved to be redundant as an offside flag had been raised but the Hibs keeper was not to know that and the saves were both excellent. With half time approaching a low ball in from the right saw James Keatings steer his effort wide when scoring looked easier. Then we had the kind of drama we could do without. Chasing a high ball into the box, Boyler collided with Woods and as he fell, a Hamilton defender landed on top of him. It seemed clear the injury was a bad one and after a very lengthy period of treatment, Boyler was put in a neck brace, lifted on to a spinal board and then on to a stretcher. I sincerely hope his injury is not as serious as it first looked.

During the half time interval, Gary Woods must have been declared as unable to carry on as he was replaced by the third choice keeper, Marsden who was soon called into action in diving full length to his left to push a Kamberi strike around the post. Hyndman was featuring well in the midfield but Nelom, who in my opinion had been targeted by Hamilton, was replaced just beyond the hour mark by Daryl Horgan. Little more than a minute later, Horgan delivered an excellent cross to the far post where Oli Shaw had lost his marker and he duly fired home to put Hibs a goal up.

Hamilton looked deflated for a while after that and Hibs enjoyed good spells of possession. With Horgan again the provider, Shaw climbed high to get on the end of a cross but the ball cleared the bar. The remainder of the game brought little excitement but in my mind the most telling thing was that this Hibs side was not about to throw away its advantage.

Former Hibee Tom Taiwo was next to hit the deck in the act of fouling Mallan. He too needed lengthy treatment and once he was on his feet, Bobby Madden rubbed salt in the wound by booking him.

The truth is that once Hibs went ahead, Hamilton never really looked a threat. We finished on the front foot and the whole performance answered some of my pre match concerns. They played as a team should play and whilst I admit it was not a sparkling performance it was a whole lot better than what we’ve watched in recent weeks.

The players

Rocky – Other than the double save which turned out to involve an offside flag, I’m pretty sure he only had one other save to make in the whole game.

Harry – Once again he did nothing spectacular but nor did he do anything shambolically wrong. He looks a good, steady defender and will have benefitted from another ninety match minutes.

Efe – My brother said to me that he felt both central defenders had been excellent and I couldn’t disagree. Efe was imperious and never really put a foot wrong.

Ryan – A total rock alongside Efe, Ryan is young and learning but anyone seeing him for the first time today would surely have been shocked to learn that he’s only nineteen.

Nelom – That one challenge was superb but from what I’ve seen of him to date I’ve not been overly impressed. Pretty poor in the air and seems to lack decent pace but maybe he’s just getting up to speed.

Boyler – I’ve been pretty critical of Martin in recent weeks but he was better today and it’s a great pity he appears to have sustained a bad injury.

Slivka – On the park for the whole ninety minutes in a position many consider to be his best I thought he was fantastic. Involved in just about everything, he wins my man of the match, pipping Efe and Ryan at the post.

Stevie – Much more involved today and certainly gave a lot more in the physical aspects of the game. I thought he was unlucky with his long range effort and cleverly deceptive with his free kick from out on the left.

Lewis – One or two wayward passes which I’m sure some folk will dwell on but there were many pluses in his positional play, his willingness to put a challenge in which our midfield has been sadly lacking. Early in the game a superb first time cross field pass picked Boyle in acres of space.

Oli – For the second game in a row, Oli has shown a strikers guile by being in the right place at the right time. I know he has his detractors but I genuinely feel he’s improving with each appearance.

Flo – As the player named publicly by Garry Parker as not providing the performances expected of him, I thought he addressed that accusation very well today. His mobility, control and retention of possession, like the Kamberi of old. As an aside, there was a guy sitting behind us who, from the first minute to the last, screamed abuse at Flo, telling him he was the worst player he’s ever seen play for Hibs and that Lennon should hook him instantly. You know what mate, if you’re reading this and your blood pressure has returned to normal you should maybe ask yourself why you are wasting your money on something you clearly don’t want to see. Hibs Class, my Ass.

Emerson – I thought he was excellent and was always looking for the ball. He brought to the left side of our play what Slivka brought to the right, the ability to play football and not make it look hard.

Daryl – Sometimes referred to on here as a headless chicken, he clearly had his head on today as his cross for the goal was perfect and he stuck another few good crosses into the box too.

Neil – For all the talk on here about ill feeling towards him building, the reaction of the fans towards him at the end of the game spoke volumes.

The fans – Quiet for long spells we certainly missed the drummer but I was delighted to hear the Paul Hanlon song blasted out a few times.

Bobby Madden – I’ve said many times on here that he’s my best of a bad bunch because he lets the game flow but he was whistle happy today. When Boyler was getting treatment he seemed to be interacting with some of the Hibs fans behind the goal and that’s something I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before!

[kaimendhibs]

Good summary, tho in the first half there were a lot of dissenting voices in our end. Guy behind me worst I've heard in my recent memory, slagging off every one of our players at every opportunity. I sincerely hope I never encounter him again

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[Jones28]

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Good summary, tho in the first half there were a lot of dissenting voices in our end. Guy behind me worst I've heard in my recent memory, slagging off every one of our players at every opportunity. I sincerely hope I never encounter him again

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Kaimendhibs - that wouldn't be Kaimend near Carnwath would it?

[hibsboy69]

Good report - thank you

[kaimendhibs]

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Kaimendhibs - that wouldn't be Kaimend near Carnwath would it?

Yes mate

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[SirDavidsNapper]

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Good summary, tho in the first half there were a lot of dissenting voices in our end. Guy behind me worst I've heard in my recent memory, slagging off every one of our players at every opportunity. I sincerely hope I never encounter him again

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I've never understood people that pay good money for a ticket and travel then aim abuse at their own team. Whats the point?

[Borderhibbie76]

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Good summary, tho in the first half there were a lot of dissenting voices in our end. Guy behind me worst I've heard in my recent memory, slagging off every one of our players at every opportunity. I sincerely hope I never encounter him again

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I had a guy behind we who slagged Lewy off from first minute to 120th minute (due to extended length of match) never been so close in my life to wanting to punch a fellow hibee honestly

Great summary again and I pretty much agree...thought efe and Porto were outstanding and are now our 1st choice centre half pairing imo...Slivka had his best game in ages and Horgan and Hyndman changed the game very much in our favour. Great finish by Olly and Flo was much better also.

Not a polished performance but in the context of our season a massive 3pts

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[Jones28]

Thanks JB, plenty to be positive about today. Delighted to see your comments about Flo - hopefully we have turned a corner.

[RoxburghHibs]

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I must admit, I was pretty nervous about today’s game as I’d wondered just how we’d be set up, who’d be selected to start and what formation we would adopt. The nervousness was of course born out of the alleged disharmony in the camp and the less than happy reaction of fans on the messageboard to Neil’s ‘disappearance’ from media duties and the quite blunt words of Garry Parker as he stepped in to the hot seat. Would it be possible to put all of that aside and go out and play in a manner befitting our club? I certainly hoped so as I took my seat in the stand.

When the teams were announced, I heard the Hibs keeper named as Adam Bogdan but as the players came out onto the park, Rocky was the keeper. This baffled me a bit but I believe Adam injured himself in the warm up and that in a bizarre twist of fate the Hamilton keeper did exactly the same thing. With both Nelom and Stevenson in the starting eleven there was early guesswork as to who would play left back and who would play in midfield. It became apparent very early on the Lewis was in midfield alongside Slivka, Mallan and Boyle. I took this as an attempt to stiffen up a midfield that had been underperforming in recent weeks and I have to say that by and large it worked.

Early chances were quite scarce at both ends although Hibs had the better of possession. A superb pass from the right saw Kamberi race into the box and fail by inches to make the connection that surely would have opened the scoring. Next, a cracking through ball by Boyle saw Shaw racing in to try and connect. He and the keeper arrived simultaneously and as Woods smothered the ball, Shaw’s forward momentum brought contact. The keeper was down for a while but after treatment was able to continue. At the other end, Nelom put in a fantastic challenge to deny Bingham a golden opportunity to score before Mallan had two fine efforts saved. The first was a blockbuster from about twenty five yards that nearly knocked Woods off his feet as he parried it into the air before recovering to grasp the loose ball. The second was from a free kick out on the Hibs left which he struck at goal only for Woods to block and a Hamilton defender cleared his lines.

A double save by Rocky was proved to be redundant as an offside flag had been raised but the Hibs keeper was not to know that and the saves were both excellent. With half time approaching a low ball in from the right saw James Keatings steer his effort wide when scoring looked easier. Then we had the kind of drama we could do without. Chasing a high ball into the box, Boyler collided with Woods and as he fell, a Hamilton defender landed on top of him. It seemed clear the injury was a bad one and after a very lengthy period of treatment, Boyler was put in a neck brace, lifted on to a spinal board and then on to a stretcher. I sincerely hope his injury is not as serious as it first looked.

During the half time interval, Gary Woods must have been declared as unable to carry on as he was replaced by the third choice keeper, Marsden who was soon called into action in diving full length to his left to push a Kamberi strike around the post. Hyndman was featuring well in the midfield but Nelom, who in my opinion had been targeted by Hamilton, was replaced just beyond the hour mark by Daryl Horgan. Little more than a minute later, Horgan delivered an excellent cross to the far post where Oli Shaw had lost his marker and he duly fired home to put Hibs a goal up.

Hamilton looked deflated for a while after that and Hibs enjoyed good spells of possession. With Horgan again the provider, Shaw climbed high to get on the end of a cross but the ball cleared the bar. The remainder of the game brought little excitement but in my mind the most telling thing was that this Hibs side was not about to throw away its advantage.

Former Hibee Tom Taiwo was next to hit the deck in the act of fouling Mallan. He too needed lengthy treatment and once he was on his feet, Bobby Madden rubbed salt in the wound by booking him.

The truth is that once Hibs went ahead, Hamilton never really looked a threat. We finished on the front foot and the whole performance answered some of my pre match concerns. They played as a team should play and whilst I admit it was not a sparkling performance it was a whole lot better than what we’ve watched in recent weeks.

The players

Rocky – Other than the double save which turned out to involve an offside flag, I’m pretty sure he only had one other save to make in the whole game.

Harry – Once again he did nothing spectacular but nor did he do anything shambolically wrong. He looks a good, steady defender and will have benefitted from another ninety match minutes.

Efe – My brother said to me that he felt both central defenders had been excellent and I couldn’t disagree. Efe was imperious and never really put a foot wrong.

Ryan – A total rock alongside Efe, Ryan is young and learning but anyone seeing him for the first time today would surely have been shocked to learn that he’s only nineteen.

Nelom – That one challenge was superb but from what I’ve seen of him to date I’ve not been overly impressed. Pretty poor in the air and seems to lack decent pace but maybe he’s just getting up to speed.

Boyler – I’ve been pretty critical of Martin in recent weeks but he was better today and it’s a great pity he appears to have sustained a bad injury.

Slivka – On the park for the whole ninety minutes in a position many consider to be his best I thought he was fantastic. Involved in just about everything, he wins my man of the match, pipping Efe and Ryan at the post.

Stevie – Much more involved today and certainly gave a lot more in the physical aspects of the game. I thought he was unlucky with his long range effort and cleverly deceptive with his free kick from out on the left.

Lewis – One or two wayward passes which I’m sure some folk will dwell on but there were many pluses in his positional play, his willingness to put a challenge in which our midfield has been sadly lacking. Early in the game a superb first time cross field pass picked Boyle in acres of space.

Oli – For the second game in a row, Oli has shown a strikers guile by being in the right place at the right time. I know he has his detractors but I genuinely feel he’s improving with each appearance.

Flo – As the player named publicly by Garry Parker as not providing the performances expected of him, I thought he addressed that accusation very well today. His mobility, control and retention of possession, like the Kamberi of old. As an aside, there was a guy sitting behind us who, from the first minute to the last, screamed abuse at Flo, telling him he was the worst player he’s ever seen play for Hibs and that Lennon should hook him instantly. You know what mate, if you’re reading this and your blood pressure has returned to normal you should maybe ask yourself why you are wasting your money on something you clearly don’t want to see. Hibs Class, my Ass.

Emerson – I thought he was excellent and was always looking for the ball. He brought to the left side of our play what Slivka brought to the right, the ability to play football and not make it look hard.

Daryl – Sometimes referred to on here as a headless chicken, he clearly had his head on today as his cross for the goal was perfect and he stuck another few good crosses into the box too.

Neil – For all the talk on here about ill feeling towards him building, the reaction of the fans towards him at the end of the game spoke volumes.

The fans – Quiet for long spells we certainly missed the drummer but I was delighted to hear the Paul Hanlon song blasted out a few times.

Bobby Madden – I’ve said many times on here that he’s my best of a bad bunch because he lets the game flow but he was whistle happy today. When Boyler was getting treatment he seemed to be interacting with some of the Hibs fans behind the goal and that’s something I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before!

An excellent read as always - thanks

[BILLYHIBS]

Excellent once again Jonnyboy didn’t make the game today but after reading this it felt like I was there

[Bobby's Cinema]

Only thing I disagree with is Lewis in midfield, didn’t work at all first half for me and no coincidence that when Lennon changed this we took a grip of the game second half. Not convinced by Mallan so deep but was clearly a better overall performance.

Much better from Flo glad to see improvement upfront. Onwards and upwards

[Keith_M]

No mention of the penalty claim in the first half (Porteous, I think)

Am I the only one that thought we should have been awarded a penalty?

[Jonnyboy]

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No mention of the penalty claim in the first half (Porteous, I think)

Am I the only one that thought we should have been awarded a penalty?

I'd forgotten about that, K. Ryan may have spoiled any claim by throwing himself forward far too much for a push to have caused it.

[Keith_M]

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I'd forgotten about that, K. Ryan may have spoiled any claim by throwing himself forward far too much for a push to have caused it.

Maybe, yeah, but I still think it was a good penalty claim.

It's always a difficult one, as you can be pushed but, if it's not obvious, you usually get nothing.

[kaimendhibs]

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No mention of the penalty claim in the first half (Porteous, I think)

Am I the only one that thought we should have been awarded a penalty?

Stonewaller

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[Hibeesforever]

Excellent narrative, thank you

[Radium]

Update appreciated. Currently floored with a slipped disc so the reports over recent weeks are much anticipated.


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[spikeymike]

Good report.... At last someone agrees with me about slivka.... He bring a balance to the midfield whether he plays well or not👍

[Hermit Crab]

When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

[Baldy Foghorn]

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When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

FFS

[Peevemor]

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When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

Hibs TV commentary had Kamberi as the scorer of our goal.

[Allant1981]

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Hibs TV commentary had Kamberi as the scorer of our goal.

Was 100% shaw

[Daydreamer]

Agree with the report sir and once again Ambrose and Porteous solid. The penalty shout I watched Madden carefully and he maybe never gave it after the shambles at the Hearts game midweek but definitely thought about it.
Thought Kamberi worked his socks off and gave the other front players the space for chances.

[H18 SFR]

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When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

You sure it wasn't Lennon 😂😂😂

[brog]

Thanks as ever John. Having just seen the highlights i think Oli deserves more recognition for his goal. It was a superb, controlled finish & we've missed countless easier chances this season. Well played Oli.

[cmcd]

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When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

That is outrageous. I can't understand why a supporter would act like this to any player never mind one of our own

[Hermit Crab]

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That is outrageous. I can't understand why a supporter would act like this to any player never mind one of our own

Yep, the lad has played 2 games for us and done reasonably well in both imo.

[Jonnyboy]

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When Boyle was down injured someone shouted something along the lines of Mavrias, I wish that was you.

Another behind me was shouting constantly at Kamberi even though it was Shaw who had the ball at times.

Same guy I reckon, G. Non stop and brainless

[Hermit Crab]

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Same guy I reckon, G. Non stop and brainless

Yeah that sounds like them. Relentless abuse.

[Hermit Crab]

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Good report.... At last someone agrees with me about slivka.... He bring a balance to the midfield whether he plays well or not👍

I've always liked him, he's my favourite player. When he's played in his right position he is the first name on the team sheet.