Jonnyboy
20-09-2020, 03:16 PM
I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t looking forward to this game at all. My fears revolved mainly around the fact that we’d performed so poorly against Aberdeen last time out at Easter Road and having watched a few games involving the Rangers it was abundantly clear to me that they are ten times the team Aberdeen are. Yes we’d struck three goals against St. Mirren last week but this was a very different kettle of fish.
As it turned out the opening 45 minutes brought about three firsts – Drey Wright’s first goal for Hibs, the Rangers defence being breached for the first time in the league this season and lastly Hibs losing their first goal of the season to open play.
As to the game itself, the enforced absence of Jamie Murphy allowed Drey Wright to stake his claim as Hibs set up with a 3-5-2 but the first ten to fifteen minutes saw us more in 5-3-2 as the Rangers dominated possession. As I always say though, possession alone does not win games and although the visitors spurned a couple of half chances, Rocky never looked troubled in that opening spell.
Hibs were slowly gaining a foothold and a fine turn and shot from Nisbet looked destined for the far corner but McLaughlin made a good save to deny the Hibs man. A bizarre incident caught the cameraman out as Porteous and Morelos ‘clashed’ near the centre circle. Porteous was booked as Morelos rolled about on the ground holding his face but a view of the incident from a different camera angle proved to me at least that there was nothing in the coming together and Ryan was unlucky to see yellow for it. Morelos, I’m told is in the running for an Oscar.
In the 22nd minute Hibs took a shock lead. Paul Hanlon’s crossfield pass was well won in the air by Kevin Nisbet who flicked the ball on to Boyle. Martin’s first touch wasn’t great and Barisic should really have closed him down but the defender backed off slightly which gave Boyle time to find Drey Wright with a cutback and the midfielder steered a fine effort through the legs of the keeper to put Hibs in front. It was broadly similar to the Newall goal against St Mirren and another example of the damage Boyle can do when he lifts his head.
Essentially that opener was against the run of play and it wasn’t long before the Rangers took a grip on proceedings again but it has to be said they had the ball but used it poorly. A second yellow card for a Hibs man saw Hanlon booked for a challenge on Hagi. Television replays had me thanking the fact that we don’t have VAR in Scotland because it did look like an elbow made contact with Hagi.
The minutes seemed to be ticking by very slowly and I was hoping we’d reach the break 1-0 up but it was not to be. In time added on, a Kent cross to the far post eluded everyone but Morelos allowing the striker to take a touch before firing home. Had I been at the game I’d probably have thought Paul McGinn was caught out of position but numerous TV replays showed me that McGinn had rightly tucked in and that it was Boyler who lost Morelos. It would be harsh on Boyle to be overly critical of him and I wonder if he hesitated to challenge given the penalty conceded to Aberdeen.
No doubt plenty of advice was being issued by both manager’s in the half time break but the more interesting point to me was, what on earth was going on between the subs out on the park. I’m not sure as all I saw was David Gray seemingly acting as some kind of peacemaker.
As anticipated, Hibs were under the cosh from the start of the second half and twelve minutes in, Scott Arfield put them ahead. There will have been some finger pointing as regards which defender was at fault but there are times when you just have to put your hand up and acknowledge a well created and well taken goal.
For a time after that things were looking bleak as every clearance from the Hibs defence just seemed to come straight back at them. Chances were created by the visitors and a rocket shot from Kent saw Rocky push the effort away and clear of danger. Soon after, Rocky made a stunning double save to deny Arfield with the first save being brilliant and the second even better as Rocky quickly got to his feet to divert the ball behind for a corner.
Just past the hour mark, Jack Ross replaced Josh Doig with Lewis Stevenson and changed the formation to more of a 4-3-3. Immediately, Hibs looked to have a better balance as the introduction of Stevenson allowed Boyle to offer more in attack, knowing the McGinn was behind him. Hibs were having a good spell at this point and McLaughlin was lucky that a deflected effort from Porteous ended up just behind Nisbet who would surely have scored otherwise.
With twenty minutes left, Hibs drew level. Newell intercepted a poor pass in midfield and released Boyle on the left side of the Rangers box. TV pictures later showed Boyle to be offside but the official missed that and when Boyle was given all the time in the world to transfer the ball to his right foot he delivered a far post cross which Doidge met with force to leave McLaughlin stranded.
In response to this, Steven Gerrard brought on strikers in the shape of Defoe and Itten but it was Hibs that came close again to scoring as Nisbet’s effort was blocked at the last moment. The clock was moving slowly again and in the time added on, Defoe had an effort ruled out for hand ball.
The final whistle brought a huge sigh of relief from me as there is no doubt the Rangers bossed the game but as they couldn’t make that count they lost two points in their fight for the top with Celtic, Hibs’ next opponents.
The players
Marciano – Rocky had zero chance with either goal but pulled of three top class saves to deny the visitors at crucial times in the game.
McGinn – As I said earlier, I initially thought he might be at fault for their first goal but that was not in fact the case. Over the 90 he was as steady as a rock and has become one of our most reliable players in the season so far.
Porteous – I still think, even having seen the ‘incident’ several times now, that Ryan was unlucky to get booked. The commentators had remarked on how much more mature he has become as a player and I’d echo that as he was solid throughout.
Hanlon – Paul had a fine game and in all honesty is lucky he was not sent off. Given that I believe he is not the type of player to deliberately elbow another I’m glad he saw out the ninety. Position wise he was fine, committed in the tackle and becoming part of a super partnership with Porteous.
Boyle – I’ve said this after games before I know, but I felt he wasn’t at his best and yet he provided an assist for both goals so what do I know? Martin worked his socks off with his defensive duties but I feel he was too slow to react at the Morelos equaliser.
Wright – For me, Drey drifted in and out of the game at times but fair play to him for opening the scoring with a precise strike. I’m sure there’s more to come from the lad.
Gogic – A colossus in the first half he seemed quieter for most of the second though he did finish strongly. He must be a nightmare to play against because he’s like an annoying fly that you just can’t swat because it is too persistent.
Newell – Joe had a good game today and was very mobile throughout in providing a lot of cover for the defence. A lot of his work is, to my mind, under appreciated because for my money he’s more than just a playmaker. Loads of important tackles today and for the first time I noticed just how good he is in the air.
Doig – This was a real test for Josh today and there were a few occasions that he struggled with Tavernier but over the piece he continues to be worthy of his growing reputation.
Doidge – For me, big Christian was a lot quieter today although he did put an amount of work in he was having little influence on the game. With twenty minutes left he stepped up to the plate when he charged on to the cross from Boyle and left both Helander and McLaughlin for dead.
Nisbet – I wonder sometimes if we are being slow to recognise just what a fine player this laddie is? This was a fantastic performance from Kevin, my man of the match, who never gave the Rangers defenders a minute of peace. Goldson will have trouble sleeping tonight in the tight confines of Kev’s back pocket.
Stevenson – I could almost hear the groans from some quarters when Lewis replaced Doig but it has to be said we looked far more secure with a back four and although that wasn’t just down to Lewis, he played a significant part.
Hallberg – Melker is fast becoming the nearly man. No doubt he shows up well in training but it seems to be the case that he nearly makes the starting eleven every week.
The referee - I thought Don Robertson did well enough – Kris Boyd disagreed in referring to him as having been too lenient. Other than the Hanlon card I felt Robertson pretty much got everything right.
Jack Ross – Listening to his post match interview and perhaps more importantly studying his demeanour it seemed to me as though he was chuffed to bits and very, very proud of his players.
As it turned out the opening 45 minutes brought about three firsts – Drey Wright’s first goal for Hibs, the Rangers defence being breached for the first time in the league this season and lastly Hibs losing their first goal of the season to open play.
As to the game itself, the enforced absence of Jamie Murphy allowed Drey Wright to stake his claim as Hibs set up with a 3-5-2 but the first ten to fifteen minutes saw us more in 5-3-2 as the Rangers dominated possession. As I always say though, possession alone does not win games and although the visitors spurned a couple of half chances, Rocky never looked troubled in that opening spell.
Hibs were slowly gaining a foothold and a fine turn and shot from Nisbet looked destined for the far corner but McLaughlin made a good save to deny the Hibs man. A bizarre incident caught the cameraman out as Porteous and Morelos ‘clashed’ near the centre circle. Porteous was booked as Morelos rolled about on the ground holding his face but a view of the incident from a different camera angle proved to me at least that there was nothing in the coming together and Ryan was unlucky to see yellow for it. Morelos, I’m told is in the running for an Oscar.
In the 22nd minute Hibs took a shock lead. Paul Hanlon’s crossfield pass was well won in the air by Kevin Nisbet who flicked the ball on to Boyle. Martin’s first touch wasn’t great and Barisic should really have closed him down but the defender backed off slightly which gave Boyle time to find Drey Wright with a cutback and the midfielder steered a fine effort through the legs of the keeper to put Hibs in front. It was broadly similar to the Newall goal against St Mirren and another example of the damage Boyle can do when he lifts his head.
Essentially that opener was against the run of play and it wasn’t long before the Rangers took a grip on proceedings again but it has to be said they had the ball but used it poorly. A second yellow card for a Hibs man saw Hanlon booked for a challenge on Hagi. Television replays had me thanking the fact that we don’t have VAR in Scotland because it did look like an elbow made contact with Hagi.
The minutes seemed to be ticking by very slowly and I was hoping we’d reach the break 1-0 up but it was not to be. In time added on, a Kent cross to the far post eluded everyone but Morelos allowing the striker to take a touch before firing home. Had I been at the game I’d probably have thought Paul McGinn was caught out of position but numerous TV replays showed me that McGinn had rightly tucked in and that it was Boyler who lost Morelos. It would be harsh on Boyle to be overly critical of him and I wonder if he hesitated to challenge given the penalty conceded to Aberdeen.
No doubt plenty of advice was being issued by both manager’s in the half time break but the more interesting point to me was, what on earth was going on between the subs out on the park. I’m not sure as all I saw was David Gray seemingly acting as some kind of peacemaker.
As anticipated, Hibs were under the cosh from the start of the second half and twelve minutes in, Scott Arfield put them ahead. There will have been some finger pointing as regards which defender was at fault but there are times when you just have to put your hand up and acknowledge a well created and well taken goal.
For a time after that things were looking bleak as every clearance from the Hibs defence just seemed to come straight back at them. Chances were created by the visitors and a rocket shot from Kent saw Rocky push the effort away and clear of danger. Soon after, Rocky made a stunning double save to deny Arfield with the first save being brilliant and the second even better as Rocky quickly got to his feet to divert the ball behind for a corner.
Just past the hour mark, Jack Ross replaced Josh Doig with Lewis Stevenson and changed the formation to more of a 4-3-3. Immediately, Hibs looked to have a better balance as the introduction of Stevenson allowed Boyle to offer more in attack, knowing the McGinn was behind him. Hibs were having a good spell at this point and McLaughlin was lucky that a deflected effort from Porteous ended up just behind Nisbet who would surely have scored otherwise.
With twenty minutes left, Hibs drew level. Newell intercepted a poor pass in midfield and released Boyle on the left side of the Rangers box. TV pictures later showed Boyle to be offside but the official missed that and when Boyle was given all the time in the world to transfer the ball to his right foot he delivered a far post cross which Doidge met with force to leave McLaughlin stranded.
In response to this, Steven Gerrard brought on strikers in the shape of Defoe and Itten but it was Hibs that came close again to scoring as Nisbet’s effort was blocked at the last moment. The clock was moving slowly again and in the time added on, Defoe had an effort ruled out for hand ball.
The final whistle brought a huge sigh of relief from me as there is no doubt the Rangers bossed the game but as they couldn’t make that count they lost two points in their fight for the top with Celtic, Hibs’ next opponents.
The players
Marciano – Rocky had zero chance with either goal but pulled of three top class saves to deny the visitors at crucial times in the game.
McGinn – As I said earlier, I initially thought he might be at fault for their first goal but that was not in fact the case. Over the 90 he was as steady as a rock and has become one of our most reliable players in the season so far.
Porteous – I still think, even having seen the ‘incident’ several times now, that Ryan was unlucky to get booked. The commentators had remarked on how much more mature he has become as a player and I’d echo that as he was solid throughout.
Hanlon – Paul had a fine game and in all honesty is lucky he was not sent off. Given that I believe he is not the type of player to deliberately elbow another I’m glad he saw out the ninety. Position wise he was fine, committed in the tackle and becoming part of a super partnership with Porteous.
Boyle – I’ve said this after games before I know, but I felt he wasn’t at his best and yet he provided an assist for both goals so what do I know? Martin worked his socks off with his defensive duties but I feel he was too slow to react at the Morelos equaliser.
Wright – For me, Drey drifted in and out of the game at times but fair play to him for opening the scoring with a precise strike. I’m sure there’s more to come from the lad.
Gogic – A colossus in the first half he seemed quieter for most of the second though he did finish strongly. He must be a nightmare to play against because he’s like an annoying fly that you just can’t swat because it is too persistent.
Newell – Joe had a good game today and was very mobile throughout in providing a lot of cover for the defence. A lot of his work is, to my mind, under appreciated because for my money he’s more than just a playmaker. Loads of important tackles today and for the first time I noticed just how good he is in the air.
Doig – This was a real test for Josh today and there were a few occasions that he struggled with Tavernier but over the piece he continues to be worthy of his growing reputation.
Doidge – For me, big Christian was a lot quieter today although he did put an amount of work in he was having little influence on the game. With twenty minutes left he stepped up to the plate when he charged on to the cross from Boyle and left both Helander and McLaughlin for dead.
Nisbet – I wonder sometimes if we are being slow to recognise just what a fine player this laddie is? This was a fantastic performance from Kevin, my man of the match, who never gave the Rangers defenders a minute of peace. Goldson will have trouble sleeping tonight in the tight confines of Kev’s back pocket.
Stevenson – I could almost hear the groans from some quarters when Lewis replaced Doig but it has to be said we looked far more secure with a back four and although that wasn’t just down to Lewis, he played a significant part.
Hallberg – Melker is fast becoming the nearly man. No doubt he shows up well in training but it seems to be the case that he nearly makes the starting eleven every week.
The referee - I thought Don Robertson did well enough – Kris Boyd disagreed in referring to him as having been too lenient. Other than the Hanlon card I felt Robertson pretty much got everything right.
Jack Ross – Listening to his post match interview and perhaps more importantly studying his demeanour it seemed to me as though he was chuffed to bits and very, very proud of his players.