Jonnyboy
25-08-2018, 06:30 PM
After last week’s hard fought win against a big and experienced Ross County, Lenny went back to fielding what he felt was his strongest eleven for the visit of Aberdeen. Just briefly, on the subject of that win over Ross County, I felt a lot of the criticism after the game was harsh in that we fielded a predominantly young and inexperienced side against a team that had started the season well and which was packed with players who’d had lots of top league experience. We showed great resilience in going on to win the game.
For the visit of the Dons, Bogdan returned in goal, Hanlon resumed his customary left side in the back three while Whittaker was given a midfield berth as Shaw and Boyle combined up front. Starting brightly, Hibs enjoyed the best of the possession and Joe Lewis in the Aberdeen goal had to get down quickly, saving a snap shot by Mallan. Referee Andrew Dallas was then unmoved when a decent shout for a penalty followed Boyler being downed in the box by Considine. Boyle featured again soon after as he turned towards goal and raced to the edge of the area where his final ball just let him down. Another to show up well in these early stages was Daryl Horgan with the Dons defence struggling to cope with his direct play. On one occasion he scampered into the box and hit a left foot shot at Lewis’s near post but the keeper did well to push it around for a corner.
Aberdeen seemed quite laboured in their build up and weren’t really causing the Hibs defence much of a problem whilst at the other end Lewis did well to hold a Whittaker header and then excelled in saving a vicious effort by Horgan. In time the Dons began to create a few chances and Bogdan did really well to save a first time effort from Ferguson, who looks a real find for Aberdeen. Boyle then broke free again but Lewis saved at his near post.
Referee Dallas then infuriated the visitors by denying them a penalty when Hanlon made a tackle on Ferguson in the box. It looked to me as though the tackle was a clean one as the ball went out for a throw but the Dons players surrounded the ref who remained unmoved. Perhaps buoyed on by that incident the Dons won a couple of corners. At the first, a deep cross to the back post was headed back across goal by May but Considine couldn’t direct his header on goal. It was warning that Hibs failed to heed as the next corner was again delivered to the back post where a header sent the ball back into the middle allowing a Dons player to head it towards goal. It looked as though Bogdan had saved but he seemed to fumble the ball, allowing Hoban to poke home the opener, very much against the run of play.
Aberdeen had done this to us before at Easter Road; weathering the storm, sneaking a goal and then sitting deep to defend it. The second half became more and more a war of attrition as Hibs dominated but Aberdeen defended doggedly. Both Mallan and Whittaker had early efforts without troubling Lewis before Boyle raced on to a Stevenson pass before squaring the ball to Shaw whose shot was deflected by a timely interception from Hoban. It was all one way traffic and Lenny made a statement of intent by replacing Gray and Stevenson with Maclaren and Hyndman but the Dons held firm. Shaw came close again but a fine block by Considine saw the Dons player need quite lengthy treatment before resuming.
The clock was ticking down and Hibs just couldn’t seem to find a way through until five minutes from the end, Shaw laid the ball off to Horgan on the edge of the box. The little midfielder dragged the ball to the left before slotting a tremendous ball into the path of Paul Hanlon who, from the byeline sent a low cross into the path of Maclaren who fired the ball home from close range. Aberdeen then sent on a couple of big strikers and seemed happy to punt the ball up to them, hoping for a knockdown but the Hibs defence and Ryan Porteous in particular dealt with the threat brilliantly. Right at the death, Porteous hauled down Mackay Steven and earned a yellow card while the Dons man appeared to try and head butt Porteous but Andrew Dallas only cautioned him when a red card seemed the more likely punishment.
It was an exciting game with Hibs playing some excellent football and a point was the very least they deserved for their efforts. The crowd, which I think I heard announced as somewhere around 18,500 were well entertained and were massive in the latter stages of the game in roaring Hibs on.
The players
I’m aware that I focus very much on the positives and that some posters feel I am too soft on certain players but I make no apology for doing that rather than picking out negatives. There were very many positives today so I’m in a good place as I write this!
Adam – Had a few routine saves early on and made one excellent stop in the second half to deny Ferguson but sadly I felt he fluffed his lines for their goal.
Efe – Imperious in defence, daring in attack and exciting to watch as he charged forward on occasion. All in all I felt he was excellent today.
Ryan – Whilst he still makes the odd mistake I feel he is getting better with every outing. One thing I noted particularly today was that his reading of the play is improving. On occasions when Efe and Paul found the ball being played in behind them, he was on hand to clear the danger.
Paul – Much for like his old self today, reading the game well, good forward passes and the odd telling tackle to stop Aberdeen in their tracks.
SDG – Once again David played a real captain’s part in defending well but pushing forward whenever he got the opportunity. He went off not long after he got an injury by putting his body on the line in a block challenge.
Stevie – The laddie worked his socks off today but I felt his contribution, in a creativity sense, was lacking a little. Aberdeen never really gave him a chance to settle on the ball and in a way, that’s a compliment to him from Derek McInnes who clearly saw the lad as a threat.
Whitty – For all the criticism he’s endured over the last few months I thought he was first class today in protecting the back three and in recycling the ball to good effect. Hit a couple of brilliant crossfield passes today that, had they been hit by Mallan would have been loudly praised. His critics have a right to criticise but surely even the harshest of those critics would have been happy with his performance today.
Daryl – Was immense again, in earning the sponsors man of the match. Looked dangerous enough to worry the Dons defence on numerous occasions and the fact that he is two footed, can pick a pass and is pretty quick over the ground confirms to me that he’s an excellent signing.
Lewis – I thought it interesting the Mackay Steven started on the right, in direct opposition to Lewis. Other than a couple of poor crosses I didn’t think the so called Dons danger man caused Lewis any problems.
Boyler – Looked much more like the Martin Boyle we all know and love. His pace terrified the Dons defence and Considine in particular. Was the victim of two quite horrendous attempts to bring him down at one point late in the game but stayed on his feet with Dallas booking both of the Dons offenders.
Oli – For a young striker he had a huge responsibility on his shoulders today and it’s surprising there was any room there as Dons defenders were all over him like a rash. I felt the ref let them away with murder to be honest. He’s had better games for us and he will again in the future as time is on his side.
Jamie – Brought on for the last fifteen minutes and buzzed about as usual. I’m aware that he’s another that has critics but if he does all season what he did today I hope he’ll quieten them down. Being in the right place at the right time is a gift and I feel he has that gift.
Emerson – Had only been on the park for a few minutes before Hibs equalised and then spent the rest of the time trying to close down the man with the ball as Aberdeen pumped high ball after high ball into our penalty box.
Dallas – Had both sets of fans booing him and both managers saying that both sides had decent shouts for a penalty. Some of his decisions were downright bizarre but then again, his name is Dallas.
Lenny – I heard his after match interview and he was spot on in what he said. We should have made more of our possession and we should have defended better for the goal.
Man of the match – Two or three impressed me more than others today but I can’t give this accolade to anyone other than Ryan Porteous.
For the visit of the Dons, Bogdan returned in goal, Hanlon resumed his customary left side in the back three while Whittaker was given a midfield berth as Shaw and Boyle combined up front. Starting brightly, Hibs enjoyed the best of the possession and Joe Lewis in the Aberdeen goal had to get down quickly, saving a snap shot by Mallan. Referee Andrew Dallas was then unmoved when a decent shout for a penalty followed Boyler being downed in the box by Considine. Boyle featured again soon after as he turned towards goal and raced to the edge of the area where his final ball just let him down. Another to show up well in these early stages was Daryl Horgan with the Dons defence struggling to cope with his direct play. On one occasion he scampered into the box and hit a left foot shot at Lewis’s near post but the keeper did well to push it around for a corner.
Aberdeen seemed quite laboured in their build up and weren’t really causing the Hibs defence much of a problem whilst at the other end Lewis did well to hold a Whittaker header and then excelled in saving a vicious effort by Horgan. In time the Dons began to create a few chances and Bogdan did really well to save a first time effort from Ferguson, who looks a real find for Aberdeen. Boyle then broke free again but Lewis saved at his near post.
Referee Dallas then infuriated the visitors by denying them a penalty when Hanlon made a tackle on Ferguson in the box. It looked to me as though the tackle was a clean one as the ball went out for a throw but the Dons players surrounded the ref who remained unmoved. Perhaps buoyed on by that incident the Dons won a couple of corners. At the first, a deep cross to the back post was headed back across goal by May but Considine couldn’t direct his header on goal. It was warning that Hibs failed to heed as the next corner was again delivered to the back post where a header sent the ball back into the middle allowing a Dons player to head it towards goal. It looked as though Bogdan had saved but he seemed to fumble the ball, allowing Hoban to poke home the opener, very much against the run of play.
Aberdeen had done this to us before at Easter Road; weathering the storm, sneaking a goal and then sitting deep to defend it. The second half became more and more a war of attrition as Hibs dominated but Aberdeen defended doggedly. Both Mallan and Whittaker had early efforts without troubling Lewis before Boyle raced on to a Stevenson pass before squaring the ball to Shaw whose shot was deflected by a timely interception from Hoban. It was all one way traffic and Lenny made a statement of intent by replacing Gray and Stevenson with Maclaren and Hyndman but the Dons held firm. Shaw came close again but a fine block by Considine saw the Dons player need quite lengthy treatment before resuming.
The clock was ticking down and Hibs just couldn’t seem to find a way through until five minutes from the end, Shaw laid the ball off to Horgan on the edge of the box. The little midfielder dragged the ball to the left before slotting a tremendous ball into the path of Paul Hanlon who, from the byeline sent a low cross into the path of Maclaren who fired the ball home from close range. Aberdeen then sent on a couple of big strikers and seemed happy to punt the ball up to them, hoping for a knockdown but the Hibs defence and Ryan Porteous in particular dealt with the threat brilliantly. Right at the death, Porteous hauled down Mackay Steven and earned a yellow card while the Dons man appeared to try and head butt Porteous but Andrew Dallas only cautioned him when a red card seemed the more likely punishment.
It was an exciting game with Hibs playing some excellent football and a point was the very least they deserved for their efforts. The crowd, which I think I heard announced as somewhere around 18,500 were well entertained and were massive in the latter stages of the game in roaring Hibs on.
The players
I’m aware that I focus very much on the positives and that some posters feel I am too soft on certain players but I make no apology for doing that rather than picking out negatives. There were very many positives today so I’m in a good place as I write this!
Adam – Had a few routine saves early on and made one excellent stop in the second half to deny Ferguson but sadly I felt he fluffed his lines for their goal.
Efe – Imperious in defence, daring in attack and exciting to watch as he charged forward on occasion. All in all I felt he was excellent today.
Ryan – Whilst he still makes the odd mistake I feel he is getting better with every outing. One thing I noted particularly today was that his reading of the play is improving. On occasions when Efe and Paul found the ball being played in behind them, he was on hand to clear the danger.
Paul – Much for like his old self today, reading the game well, good forward passes and the odd telling tackle to stop Aberdeen in their tracks.
SDG – Once again David played a real captain’s part in defending well but pushing forward whenever he got the opportunity. He went off not long after he got an injury by putting his body on the line in a block challenge.
Stevie – The laddie worked his socks off today but I felt his contribution, in a creativity sense, was lacking a little. Aberdeen never really gave him a chance to settle on the ball and in a way, that’s a compliment to him from Derek McInnes who clearly saw the lad as a threat.
Whitty – For all the criticism he’s endured over the last few months I thought he was first class today in protecting the back three and in recycling the ball to good effect. Hit a couple of brilliant crossfield passes today that, had they been hit by Mallan would have been loudly praised. His critics have a right to criticise but surely even the harshest of those critics would have been happy with his performance today.
Daryl – Was immense again, in earning the sponsors man of the match. Looked dangerous enough to worry the Dons defence on numerous occasions and the fact that he is two footed, can pick a pass and is pretty quick over the ground confirms to me that he’s an excellent signing.
Lewis – I thought it interesting the Mackay Steven started on the right, in direct opposition to Lewis. Other than a couple of poor crosses I didn’t think the so called Dons danger man caused Lewis any problems.
Boyler – Looked much more like the Martin Boyle we all know and love. His pace terrified the Dons defence and Considine in particular. Was the victim of two quite horrendous attempts to bring him down at one point late in the game but stayed on his feet with Dallas booking both of the Dons offenders.
Oli – For a young striker he had a huge responsibility on his shoulders today and it’s surprising there was any room there as Dons defenders were all over him like a rash. I felt the ref let them away with murder to be honest. He’s had better games for us and he will again in the future as time is on his side.
Jamie – Brought on for the last fifteen minutes and buzzed about as usual. I’m aware that he’s another that has critics but if he does all season what he did today I hope he’ll quieten them down. Being in the right place at the right time is a gift and I feel he has that gift.
Emerson – Had only been on the park for a few minutes before Hibs equalised and then spent the rest of the time trying to close down the man with the ball as Aberdeen pumped high ball after high ball into our penalty box.
Dallas – Had both sets of fans booing him and both managers saying that both sides had decent shouts for a penalty. Some of his decisions were downright bizarre but then again, his name is Dallas.
Lenny – I heard his after match interview and he was spot on in what he said. We should have made more of our possession and we should have defended better for the goal.
Man of the match – Two or three impressed me more than others today but I can’t give this accolade to anyone other than Ryan Porteous.