Jonnyboy
29-03-2019, 11:13 PM
The International break behind us we resumed our league programme with a tricky away fixture at Livingston whose bright start to the campaign had somewhat dimmed in recent weeks. Having said that, their home form suggested that picking up three points was not going to be easy for whoever was visiting the Tony Macaroni Arena and tonight proved to be a case in point.
With Darren McGregor able once again to take his position in central defence, Mark Milligan was shifted forward into a defensive midfield role with Slivka dropping to the bench. In fairness to Viki, his travels in appearing for Lithuania saw him cover a huge number of miles in a relatively short space of time and it’s a wonder he was able to be involved at all.
As always seems to be the case at Livingston, fans were bickering both before and at times during the start of the game regarding who should sit where. Those who had bought tickets in advance had every right to complain to those other fans that decided to occupy their seats. There was no cash gate and so I have to assume that those buying on the night were given a ticket with a row and seat number on it. It’s not rocket science, just sit where the ticket says you should and help avoid the unnecessary squabbling that broke out.
Despite the distraction I was able to see Hibs almost opening the scoring inside the first couple of minutes when a long ball forward was knocked into the path of Mallan whose strike looked netbound until Liam Kelly pulled off a fine save. A good start I thought and I was looking forward to a good game of football but sadly for the first seventy minutes or so it was turgid stuff with Livi’s sole tactic seeming to be to get high balls into the box. Thankfully our central defenders were up to the task and I don’t recall Rocky being troubled at all in the first half. Right at the end of that half, Kamberi was back defending and tried to see the ball out of play but a Livi foot kept the ball live and a cross into the Hibs area had to be smartly cleared away by Paul Hanlon.
The second half started as the first ended with Livi taking the high road and Hibs struggling to get their passing game going on a nightmare of a playing surface. With about twenty five minutes left, both managers made a double substitution with Omeonga and Horgan making way for Slivka and Fraser Murray whilst one of the Livi changes saw Erskine replaced by Ryan Hardie. Ironically, I thought Erskine had been Livi’s best player in an attacking sense but presumably Gary Holt thought Hardie would offer more of a goal threat.
No sooner had the new guys arrived than Hibs took the lead. Kamberi raced across the face of the box and flicked the ball to Murray who picked out Slivka at the back post. The original shot was saved but from the resultant corner, Paul Hanlon reacted quickly to fire the ball into the roof of the net. Livi almost responded instantly but Robinson’s fierce shot flew wide of Rocky’s left hand post. Hibs surged forward again and Mallan cleverly outstripped Gallagher before firing a low shot under Kelly and into the net. It was a fine goal and added to Mallan’s already impressive total for the season to date.
Looking relatively comfortable in their lead and having had Rocky to thank for tipping a Sibbald header over the bar, Hibs seemed to be coasting towards the final whistle but as the fourth official was holding up the board advising there would be a minimum of four minutes to be added, Lewis Stevenson was adjudged to have fouled a Livi player in the box. I’ve only seen it live and I have to say I thought it looked very soft but referee Nick Walsh pointed to the spot. As Ryan Hardie prepared to take the kick, I heard Billy Whizz of this parish shouting ‘dive to your left, Rocky’ but Rocky dived to his right and Hardie shot past him to the left. Shout louder next time, Billy!
In the not so distant past I’d have been squirming at the thought of us keeping our lead but tonight I wasn’t because although Livi threw everything at us we never looked like conceding again. At the final whistle I rejoiced in the fact that we were now above Hearts in the league they’d apparently won in September and the fact that since Hecky arrived, Hibs have picked up sixteen out of a possible eighteen league points. Depending on how Kilmarnock fair tomorrow we could potentially be going into Wednesday’s fixture against them just three points behind. It will be a tough game I’m sure but the player’s will know what’s expected of them.
Finally, as I approached the ‘Arena’ tonight I spotted Hermit Crab deep in conversation with Baldy Foghorn. I couldn’t resist the temptation and so I gave HC a playful slap on the back of his head and told him to stop being so bloody negative all the time. His response was as you’ve probably guessed, negative as he complained to me that when I added the date to the thread title of this is how it feels I don’t use any spaces and so ‘it’s just a load of numbers’. So, Mr Crab just for you I’ve changed it tonight, even though I’m pretty sure that dates generally are a ‘load of numbers’ :greengrin
The players
Rocky – Our keeper was well defended by his team mates tonight and went for long spells where he had little of note to do. When he was called upon he made a good save from the Sibbald header and stood no chance with the penalty as it was struck into the inside of the side netting.
SDG – I was mildly surprised that SDG was risked on that surface but thankfully he got through the entire game without going down injured at any point. That’s good news in my book and he deserves credit for flicking the ball on at our opening goal.
Daz – It’s no secret that Livi’s strength is playing high balls into the opposition box and that’s exactly what they did all night tonight. What must surely have frustrated them was the fact that Daz totally commanded that area and got his head to 99% of the crosses. He was a colossus tonight and gets my man of the match award.
Paul – Like Daz, he was impressive throughout and took his goal well. As the song says, he’s a Hibee through and through and he has every right to go home tonight with a huge smile on his face.
Lewis – As I’ve said above, I thought the penalty award was soft but it certainly didn’t seem to interrupt Lewis’ concentration as a minute or so after the Livi goal he brilliantly read an intended pass and got across to cut off a possible cross into the area.
Daryl – I thought Daryl wasn’t quite at it tonight and seemed to struggle with the ball at his feet on the synthetic surface, though he wasn’t alone in that. I feel that when a player is striking a pass the ball, unlike on a grass surface, does not move immediately contact is made. Instead it ‘sticks’ which often means the player attempting the pass sees his foot roll over the top of the ball. It’s no secret I hate synthetic surfaces and I saw nothing tonight to change that viewpoint.
Stevie – I heard it said tonight that it’s a mystery that Stevie can start the game well, disappear for an hour and then finish the game well. I’m not sure that’s how I saw his performance tonight though. Top marks for a sublime finish for our second goal.
Milli – It’s a strange one this as I felt Mark just went quietly about his business tonight, without doing anything either particularly good or worryingly bad. On more than one occasion he managed to stifle the forward momentum of Livi’s midfield just by getting a foot in here and there.
Stephane – Like all of his team mates he struggled to get going in the first half and ironically had just begun to impose himself in midfield when he was substituted. Like Horgan, he struggled with the surface.
Flo – Once again Flo was deployed in a wide left position and there were occasions when he wasn’t involved at all because either the ball was played straight down the middle towards Sparky or, as was more often the case, he was caught on his heels and unable to react quickly enough. On the plus side his work ethic was very good and his part in the winning of the corner for the first goal was very good.
Sparky – Ploughing a lone furrow he never stops moving and keeps defenders very much on their toes. He took a bit of a physical pounding tonight and I thought one or two of the challenges on him looked like yellow card material.
Viki – His presence in midfield was a factor in us looking more secure. His lack of pace means he can’t move away from an opponent when in possession of the ball but his clever footballing brain often finds him able to release the pass at the right time.
Fraser – I was absolutely delighted to see Fraser given his chance and honestly believe he could go on to become a crucial part of our team in the coming season and beyond. His ability to find space in and around the box will get him chances to score but tonight he had to settle for an assist to the corner for the first goal.
Oli – The youngster was only brought on to run the clock down and so it’s hard to offer any view on his performance.
Hecky – I heard his post-match interview which I thought was very honest and fair. There is a genuine calmness about the guy that I really like.
The fans – Once the daftness over seating was resolved I thought the fans were largely noisy and supportive throughout.
Nick Walsh – This wasn’t a hard game to referee in fairness and other than failing to book a Livi player for an horrendous first half dive and then giving what I considered to be a soft penalty, he had a relatively easy night of it.
With Darren McGregor able once again to take his position in central defence, Mark Milligan was shifted forward into a defensive midfield role with Slivka dropping to the bench. In fairness to Viki, his travels in appearing for Lithuania saw him cover a huge number of miles in a relatively short space of time and it’s a wonder he was able to be involved at all.
As always seems to be the case at Livingston, fans were bickering both before and at times during the start of the game regarding who should sit where. Those who had bought tickets in advance had every right to complain to those other fans that decided to occupy their seats. There was no cash gate and so I have to assume that those buying on the night were given a ticket with a row and seat number on it. It’s not rocket science, just sit where the ticket says you should and help avoid the unnecessary squabbling that broke out.
Despite the distraction I was able to see Hibs almost opening the scoring inside the first couple of minutes when a long ball forward was knocked into the path of Mallan whose strike looked netbound until Liam Kelly pulled off a fine save. A good start I thought and I was looking forward to a good game of football but sadly for the first seventy minutes or so it was turgid stuff with Livi’s sole tactic seeming to be to get high balls into the box. Thankfully our central defenders were up to the task and I don’t recall Rocky being troubled at all in the first half. Right at the end of that half, Kamberi was back defending and tried to see the ball out of play but a Livi foot kept the ball live and a cross into the Hibs area had to be smartly cleared away by Paul Hanlon.
The second half started as the first ended with Livi taking the high road and Hibs struggling to get their passing game going on a nightmare of a playing surface. With about twenty five minutes left, both managers made a double substitution with Omeonga and Horgan making way for Slivka and Fraser Murray whilst one of the Livi changes saw Erskine replaced by Ryan Hardie. Ironically, I thought Erskine had been Livi’s best player in an attacking sense but presumably Gary Holt thought Hardie would offer more of a goal threat.
No sooner had the new guys arrived than Hibs took the lead. Kamberi raced across the face of the box and flicked the ball to Murray who picked out Slivka at the back post. The original shot was saved but from the resultant corner, Paul Hanlon reacted quickly to fire the ball into the roof of the net. Livi almost responded instantly but Robinson’s fierce shot flew wide of Rocky’s left hand post. Hibs surged forward again and Mallan cleverly outstripped Gallagher before firing a low shot under Kelly and into the net. It was a fine goal and added to Mallan’s already impressive total for the season to date.
Looking relatively comfortable in their lead and having had Rocky to thank for tipping a Sibbald header over the bar, Hibs seemed to be coasting towards the final whistle but as the fourth official was holding up the board advising there would be a minimum of four minutes to be added, Lewis Stevenson was adjudged to have fouled a Livi player in the box. I’ve only seen it live and I have to say I thought it looked very soft but referee Nick Walsh pointed to the spot. As Ryan Hardie prepared to take the kick, I heard Billy Whizz of this parish shouting ‘dive to your left, Rocky’ but Rocky dived to his right and Hardie shot past him to the left. Shout louder next time, Billy!
In the not so distant past I’d have been squirming at the thought of us keeping our lead but tonight I wasn’t because although Livi threw everything at us we never looked like conceding again. At the final whistle I rejoiced in the fact that we were now above Hearts in the league they’d apparently won in September and the fact that since Hecky arrived, Hibs have picked up sixteen out of a possible eighteen league points. Depending on how Kilmarnock fair tomorrow we could potentially be going into Wednesday’s fixture against them just three points behind. It will be a tough game I’m sure but the player’s will know what’s expected of them.
Finally, as I approached the ‘Arena’ tonight I spotted Hermit Crab deep in conversation with Baldy Foghorn. I couldn’t resist the temptation and so I gave HC a playful slap on the back of his head and told him to stop being so bloody negative all the time. His response was as you’ve probably guessed, negative as he complained to me that when I added the date to the thread title of this is how it feels I don’t use any spaces and so ‘it’s just a load of numbers’. So, Mr Crab just for you I’ve changed it tonight, even though I’m pretty sure that dates generally are a ‘load of numbers’ :greengrin
The players
Rocky – Our keeper was well defended by his team mates tonight and went for long spells where he had little of note to do. When he was called upon he made a good save from the Sibbald header and stood no chance with the penalty as it was struck into the inside of the side netting.
SDG – I was mildly surprised that SDG was risked on that surface but thankfully he got through the entire game without going down injured at any point. That’s good news in my book and he deserves credit for flicking the ball on at our opening goal.
Daz – It’s no secret that Livi’s strength is playing high balls into the opposition box and that’s exactly what they did all night tonight. What must surely have frustrated them was the fact that Daz totally commanded that area and got his head to 99% of the crosses. He was a colossus tonight and gets my man of the match award.
Paul – Like Daz, he was impressive throughout and took his goal well. As the song says, he’s a Hibee through and through and he has every right to go home tonight with a huge smile on his face.
Lewis – As I’ve said above, I thought the penalty award was soft but it certainly didn’t seem to interrupt Lewis’ concentration as a minute or so after the Livi goal he brilliantly read an intended pass and got across to cut off a possible cross into the area.
Daryl – I thought Daryl wasn’t quite at it tonight and seemed to struggle with the ball at his feet on the synthetic surface, though he wasn’t alone in that. I feel that when a player is striking a pass the ball, unlike on a grass surface, does not move immediately contact is made. Instead it ‘sticks’ which often means the player attempting the pass sees his foot roll over the top of the ball. It’s no secret I hate synthetic surfaces and I saw nothing tonight to change that viewpoint.
Stevie – I heard it said tonight that it’s a mystery that Stevie can start the game well, disappear for an hour and then finish the game well. I’m not sure that’s how I saw his performance tonight though. Top marks for a sublime finish for our second goal.
Milli – It’s a strange one this as I felt Mark just went quietly about his business tonight, without doing anything either particularly good or worryingly bad. On more than one occasion he managed to stifle the forward momentum of Livi’s midfield just by getting a foot in here and there.
Stephane – Like all of his team mates he struggled to get going in the first half and ironically had just begun to impose himself in midfield when he was substituted. Like Horgan, he struggled with the surface.
Flo – Once again Flo was deployed in a wide left position and there were occasions when he wasn’t involved at all because either the ball was played straight down the middle towards Sparky or, as was more often the case, he was caught on his heels and unable to react quickly enough. On the plus side his work ethic was very good and his part in the winning of the corner for the first goal was very good.
Sparky – Ploughing a lone furrow he never stops moving and keeps defenders very much on their toes. He took a bit of a physical pounding tonight and I thought one or two of the challenges on him looked like yellow card material.
Viki – His presence in midfield was a factor in us looking more secure. His lack of pace means he can’t move away from an opponent when in possession of the ball but his clever footballing brain often finds him able to release the pass at the right time.
Fraser – I was absolutely delighted to see Fraser given his chance and honestly believe he could go on to become a crucial part of our team in the coming season and beyond. His ability to find space in and around the box will get him chances to score but tonight he had to settle for an assist to the corner for the first goal.
Oli – The youngster was only brought on to run the clock down and so it’s hard to offer any view on his performance.
Hecky – I heard his post-match interview which I thought was very honest and fair. There is a genuine calmness about the guy that I really like.
The fans – Once the daftness over seating was resolved I thought the fans were largely noisy and supportive throughout.
Nick Walsh – This wasn’t a hard game to referee in fairness and other than failing to book a Livi player for an horrendous first half dive and then giving what I considered to be a soft penalty, he had a relatively easy night of it.