This is how it feels (Motherwell 05 12 20)

[Jonnyboy]

Hot on the heels of having ‘won’ two games 3-0 and earning six points in the process, Motherwell found actually playing a game to be a whole lot different as Hibs deservedly took the points at a very wet Fir Park. Over the piece I thought Hibs had the better of the first twenty odd minutes and Motherwell held sway for the second twenty odd but in the second half it was always Hibs that looked in control as they swept the hosts aside.

Setting up in what looked kike a 4-4-1-1, Hanlon and Stevenson were restored in defence whilst Hallberg and Wright were given midfield roles. Much of the dot net talk once the line-ups were announced was how that midfield looked week and would be dominated and so it was good to see the players putting paid to that fear as the Motherwell men, especially early in the first half were eclipsed.

It was interesting listening to Jock Brown’s commentary on the home feed – necessitated by the fact that Cliff and Tam were having significant technical problems in connecting. Brown’s views certainly made me think more carefully in what I say because, for example, I would have been critical of Drey Wright’s play, but Brown rightly pointed out that for most of the first half, Wright had negated the threat of Polworth in open play. Hallberg achieved something similar with Campbell and watching on ‘TV’ means you miss a lot of what is going on, off the ball.

As to the game, early efforts by Lang and Newell were thwarted and then, as Hibs took the upper hand, early half chances fell to Hallberg and Boyle but neither hit the target. Tony Watt then made space for himself but pulled his shot wide. As the half wore on, Motherwell started to enjoy more possession, but Hibs defended resolutely to deny them sight of our goal.

The hosts thought they had opened the scoring, but their goal was disallowed. Offside was suggested in commentary so it might have been that or it might have been the fact that a Motherwell player used the shoulders of Lewis Stevenson to head the ball back into the centre of goal. At the other end, a cross from Murphy just eluded Nisbet and then around ten minutes from the break, Allan Campbell struck a vicious shot towards goal and as the ball swerved and dipped, Rocky did very well to push it away to safety.

There were quite a few meaty challenges going in but to be fair, nothing was out of hand and to his credit, Andrew Dallas let play flow as much as possible. When half time arrived with no goals, I found that fair enough as it had been an evenly matched contest.

Pretty much from the off in the second half, Hibs were on the front foot and an early effort from Boyle was deflected just wide of goal for a corner. Next, Newell got a header away but there was no real power in the effort and Jordan Archer saved it comfortably. Most of the chances created were coming from Hibs although a Tony Watt effort went close, with Rocky looking to have it covered had it been on target.

With the hour mark approaching, a fine low driven cross by Paul McGinn found Boyle ideally placed at the front post. His effort was on target but somehow Jordan Archer kept it out. I’ve watched it a couple of times again and Boyler did everything right but the same must be said of Archer who had positioned himself correctly at his near post. Boyler looked bewildered and crestfallen at the same time but a couple of minutes later he gave Hibs a 1-0 lead and that famous smile was back on his face. Good interplay down our left between Hallberg and Nisbet saw the former turn his man and cross to the far post where Boyle took a touch to steady himself before rifling an effort in off the far post.

As you might expect, Motherwell set about trying to redress the balance and a shot by Long was diverted for a corner. When the ball came in, Mugabi eluded his marker and headed the ball against the post with Marciano beaten. Luckily for Hibs, the ball flew out wide to safety. Wright and Newell then combined to give Murphy a half chance, but his effort was blocked whilst at the other end, O’Hara fired wildly over from the eighteen yard line. Hibs then replaced Wright with Doidge and went to a standard 4-4-2. That change certainly gave Declan Gallagher a thing or two to ponder as up until that point he’d hardly had any aerial threat to deal with.

Hibs were then forced to make a double substitution with a cramping up Hallberg replaced by Stephen McGinn and Jamie Murphy giving way to Jamie Gullan. Murphy’s replacement gave rise to worry as he went off clutching his hamstring.

As the minutes ticked by, I found myself fretting over Hibs perhaps conceding late but this Hibs side was defending with dogged determination. A high ball into the Hibs box was easily collected by Marciano who took a blow to the face from the high hand of Tony Watt. Rocky was down for a wee while and I have to confess my worry levels began to rise in case the interruption messed with Hibs’ concentration.

Clever play by Gullan saw the ball eventually reach Boyle on the edge of the box and his low shot looked as though it would have beaten Archer, but a deflection took the ball just the wrong side of the post. My worries evaporated with a couple of minutes to go when a combination of Boyle and Newell set Doidge up to side foot an effort into the bottom corner with Archer unsighted. Into time added on now and Hibs were controlling proceedings but not only that, they scored a third when Gullan broke on the right of the box and cut the ball back at an angle. Doidge looked tempted to take a touch but presumably got a shout from Stephen McGinn who raced in to side foot an effort into the bottom corner.

All in all, a very satisfactory outcome for Hibs and I have to say that for the early part of the game and for most of the second half we player better football than we have in recent games.

The players

Marciano – Rocky didn’t really have a great deal to do outside of a couple of good saves which he made at vital times. Watt’s hand to the face must have been a sore one as Rocky’s nose in the aftermath would have given Rudolph’s a run for its money.

McGinn (P) – Another very steady performance from Paul although if I were being picky, I’d suggest it was him who ‘lost’ Mugabi for the header that hit the post. As always though, his willingness to run beyond Boyler was very noticeable.

Porteous – Tony Watt is a tricky customer, but I felt Ryan dealt with him well. Struck two or three fine passes out wide and on a couple of other occasions, he did a ‘Hanlon’ by effectively breaking forward out of defence.

Hanlon – Once again, Paul had a fantastic game and is my man of the match. Defended well; used the ball out of defence well and just looked comfortable throughout apart from one sclaffed clearance that sent the ball out for a corner.

Stevenson – I confess I was surprised to see Lewis in the team, given that he’s been out for a few weeks, but I thought apart from a couple of scrappy clearances he defended very well and contributed to an always welcome clean sheet.

Boyle – It was noticeable to me that Boyler got more involved early doors than he has been of late and thankfully he carried that on to the second half where he might have had a hat trick but for Archer’s positioning and a lucky deflection. I hope he’s fit enough to carry on in the weeks to come as he seemed to be stretching his groin on a few occasions.

Hallberg - Melker hasn’t really set the heather on fire since he arrived but today was a good chance to show what he can give and by and large I think he took it. Facing Campbell and Polwarth in the midfield I thought he gave a fine account of himself. Also, his cross for Boyle’s goal was well engineered and well struck.

Wright – As I said earlier, I didn’t feel Wright was offering much up but often, what you do off the ball can be as important as what you do on it. I know many on dot net are losing patience with him, but I hope he gets the chances to win them, and me, over.

Newell – I thought Joe was right up for the challenge today as his often face to face duel with the impressive Allan Campbell, had it been a boxing match, would have seen Joe winning on points. On his game he is a really good player and today I thought he was on his game.

Murphy – Jamie is a clever player and sees passes that others don’t at times. Today I felt he was a little bit peripheral in phases and I hope his injury doesn’t keep him out of the side in the weeks ahead.

Nisbet – Playing largely on his own up front it was a hard shift for Kevin, but you’ve got to give the laddie credit as his head never seems to go down.

Doidge – The big fella did well when he came on and his presence meant both Motherwell centre backs had to stay deeper as until Doidge’s arrival one or the other of Mugabi and Gallagher was breaking forward. In the right place at the right time, he took his match clinching goal well.

Gullan – On a couple of occasions I was almost breathless following Jamie’s excellent ball control that made space for him to escape his marker. A key role in the third goal proved he has the nous to lift his head when the need arises.

McGinn (S) – What is it with these McGinn blokes? Another goal from one of them and a very calmly taken goal it was too.

Jack Ross – I don’t know what he said at half time, but it worked as Hibs looked much more assured in that second forty five.

The referee – Last time out I praised Kevin Clancy and today I’m praising Andrew Dallas. Who’d have thought it?

[Key West]

I’m with you on Drey Wright but today he had some good moments on the ball and as you humbly pointed out was effective in negating the Motherwell threat, I think like him and with a few others we just need to see a restoration of confidence. The result and performance should give the squad a massive boost and hopefully we can kick on and really put the pressure on Aberdeen.

[GloryGlory]

Hi Jonnyboy

Is this the first time 3 brothers have played and scored for the Hibees? I can think of two sets of brothers doing so - Jim and Alex Scott and Joe and Gerry Baker, but not three. A record for the McGinn family?

[erin go bragh]

Good report JB but I have to mention Newall’s double Maradona step over that came just minutes after the minute applause for the great man
Outstanding 👏👏

[BILLYHIBS]

Brilliant Jonnyboy

I thought Drey Wright was gash but what do I know?

I stand corrected :greengrin

I also thought that Gullan sent over a brilliant ball for Doidge just after he came on that Christian might have done better with but hey ho I will take his wonderful goal

Onwards and upwards

[erin go bragh]

Hi Jonnyboy

Is this the first time 3 brothers have played and scored for the Hibees? I can think of two sets of brothers doing so - Jim and Alex Scott and Joe and Gerry Baker, but not three. A record for the McGinn family?

Had to be . Mrs McGinn is pushing Miss Demster very close, as our most astounding lady at Hibernian 😊

[BILLYHIBS]

Hi Jonnyboy

Is this the first time 3 brothers have played and scored for the Hibees? I can think of two sets of brothers doing so - Jim and Alex Scott and Joe and Gerry Baker, but not three. A record for the McGinn family?
What about Jim, Morris and Eric Stevenson not forgetting their nephew Lewis ? :greengrin

[DaveF]

I think Nisbet deserves huge credit for the 3rd goal. Being 2 up with time almost gone he chased the defender down to win possession and from that we scored a couple of passes later. Brilliant attitude.

[Billy Whizz]

I think Nisbet deserves huge credit for the 3rd goal. Being 2 up with time almost gone he chased the defender down to win possession and from that we scored a couple of passes later. Brilliant attitude.

I noticed that too Dave. The lad works the whole game, I’m looking forward to seeing him in the flesh at Hibs, when we get back in

[Smartie]

Hi Jonnyboy

Is this the first time 3 brothers have played and scored for the Hibees? I can think of two sets of brothers doing so - Jim and Alex Scott and Joe and Gerry Baker, but not three. A record for the McGinn family?

Taking it wider than Hibs - there can’t be many sets of 3 brothers to have played and scored for the same club.

The same McGinns presumably all scored for St Mirren. Other than that I can’t think of any others?

[Skol]

Gullan went off with a hamstring injury then set up 2 goals ?

[Smartie]

I noticed that too Dave. The lad works the whole game, I’m looking forward to seeing him in the flesh at Hibs, when we get back in

It’s quite weird to have such a prominent and important player that none of us have seen play in the green and white.

[Billy Whizz]

It’s quite weird to have such a prominent and important player that none of us have seen play in the green and white.

Imagine if we sold him at the end of the season, and we didn’t get in!!!

[kaimendhibs]

Great report although I thought Porto was our best centre half today.
Newall for me was MOM, always willing to take the ball in difficult positions, dribbled and passed his way out of tricky positions and never hid

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[Golden Bear]

Gullan went off with a hamstring injury then set up 2 goals ?

Murphy maybe had the hamstring problem

[Unseen work]

Brilliant win and an important 3 points.

First half was split in two for me. We were good for the first 20 minutes and dominated most of the play but created zero, after that Motherwell were well on top and were pushing down our left and doubling up against Stevenson. They got to the byline and put a couple of really good crosses in but there was no takers/we defended them well.

Our attacking players were off the pace and Boyle looked scared to take his man on and like he was lacking confidence. Newell started the game really well but faded as the half went on.

Second half we dominated the entire half imo and was brilliant from every player. For me Hallberg is at his best when he makes the runs up/off the striker - no one likes playing someone that drags them into these positions and it proved to be the case as he was left with a lot of space before showing great skill to beat the defender and deliver to Boyle who was clinical.

The team and Boyle seemed to take a big lift from this as he looked a lot more confident everytime he got the ball thereafter.

I think one of the main changes was we pressed them much higher up the pitch in the second half which was how we got a couple of our goals, two good finishes and probably the cleanest finish with Doidges foot that I’ve seen from him:greengrin

Gullan looked really good when he came on both for the goal and a bit of play when he skinned a couple with a turn and drove at them. Hopefully see him start in place of Murphy if he’s injured and out for a while - Murphy for me was poor today and not nearly as positive as previous weeks.

Wright looks like he knows the pass to make but isn’t getting the rub of the green right now. His movement is good though and he started linking the play a lot better in the second half. His touch then ball to McGinn for Boyle’s chance that Archer saved was good and something we need to see more of.

Defensively we were solid. I think with Murphy on the wing we need a more energetic/pacey full back than Stevenson as he was often doubled up on or they got in behind. Stevenson countered this with his experience though and his winger never got a sniff second half.

An overall brilliant win for us and especially when we went 1-0 up we kept going and used the ball brilliantly, dragging them out of position and making them commit.

Ross deserves credit for the subs too (even though I almost put my remote through the tv when I thought the change was McGinn for Murphy :greengrin). Putting Doidge on was brave and added an extra dimension both offensively and defensively.

Take Campbell, O’Donnell and Gallagher off them in January and were laughing :wink:.

[Greenbeard]

Main positives for me were Newell being back on his game after two or three anonymous games, and Boyle showing a bit more, albeit I still harangued him for poor movement sometimes, whether ahead of the ball or after hitting a pass.
Agree re Nisbet's work rate but I thought he wasn't as sharp as he can be. Maybe a bit jaded? It is well recognised that stress can take the edge of your performance and maybe he needs a wee rest so he can come back re-charged. Gullan was a livewire in comparison to both Nisbet and Doidge when he came on. Doidge looked like he was having a 50% stroll in a training match.
Surprised no mention of Mugabi's sneaky change of direction 2nd half to block and foul Nisbet (or was it Wright?) who was racing through after a superb ball from Murphy (his one and only contribution?). It was right in front of Holly Johnson as well.
On that viewing I wouldn't take any of Campbell, Gallagher, O'Donnell.

[Eyrie]

Main positives for me were Newell being back on his game after two or three anonymous games, and Boyle showing a bit more, albeit I still harangued him for poor movement sometimes, whether ahead of the ball or after hitting a pass.
Agree re Nisbet's work rate but I thought he wasn't as sharp as he can be. Maybe a bit jaded? It is well recognised that stress can take the edge of your performance and maybe he needs a wee rest so he can come back re-charged. Gullan was a livewire in comparison to both Nisbet and Doidge when he came on. Doidge looked like he was having a 50% stroll in a training match.
Surprised no mention of Mugabi's sneaky change of direction 2nd half to block and foul Nisbet (or was it Wright?) who was racing through after a superb ball from Murphy (his one and only contribution?). It was right in front of Holly Johnson as well.
On that viewing I wouldn't take any of Campbell, Gallagher, O'Donnell.

It was Wright who was pushed in the back in the second half.

[whiskyhibby]

Hot on the heels of having ‘won’ two games 3-0 and earning six points in the process, Motherwell found actually playing a game to be a whole lot different as Hibs deservedly took the points at a very wet Fir Park. Over the piece I thought Hibs had the better of the first twenty odd minutes and Motherwell held sway for the second twenty odd but in the second half it was always Hibs that looked in control as they swept the hosts aside.

Setting up in what looked kike a 4-4-1-1, Hanlon and Stevenson were restored in defence whilst Hallberg and Wright were given midfield roles. Much of the dot net talk once the line-ups were announced was how that midfield looked week and would be dominated and so it was good to see the players putting paid to that fear as the Motherwell men, especially early in the first half were eclipsed.

It was interesting listening to Jock Brown’s commentary on the home feed – necessitated by the fact that Cliff and Tam were having significant technical problems in connecting. Brown’s views certainly made me think more carefully in what I say because, for example, I would have been critical of Drey Wright’s play, but Brown rightly pointed out that for most of the first half, Wright had negated the threat of Polworth in open play. Hallberg achieved something similar with Campbell and watching on ‘TV’ means you miss a lot of what is going on, off the ball.

As to the game, early efforts by Lang and Newell were thwarted and then, as Hibs took the upper hand, early half chances fell to Hallberg and Boyle but neither hit the target. Tony Watt then made space for himself but pulled his shot wide. As the half wore on, Motherwell started to enjoy more possession, but Hibs defended resolutely to deny them sight of our goal.

The hosts thought they had opened the scoring, but their goal was disallowed. Offside was suggested in commentary so it might have been that or it might have been the fact that a Motherwell player used the shoulders of Lewis Stevenson to head the ball back into the centre of goal. At the other end, a cross from Murphy just eluded Nisbet and then around ten minutes from the break, Allan Campbell struck a vicious shot towards goal and as the ball swerved and dipped, Rocky did very well to push it away to safety.

There were quite a few meaty challenges going in but to be fair, nothing was out of hand and to his credit, Andrew Dallas let play flow as much as possible. When half time arrived with no goals, I found that fair enough as it had been an evenly matched contest.

Pretty much from the off in the second half, Hibs were on the front foot and an early effort from Boyle was deflected just wide of goal for a corner. Next, Newell got a header away but there was no real power in the effort and Jordan Archer saved it comfortably. Most of the chances created were coming from Hibs although a Tony Watt effort went close, with Rocky looking to have it covered had it been on target.

With the hour mark approaching, a fine low driven cross by Paul McGinn found Boyle ideally placed at the front post. His effort was on target but somehow Jordan Archer kept it out. I’ve watched it a couple of times again and Boyler did everything right but the same must be said of Archer who had positioned himself correctly at his near post. Boyler looked bewildered and crestfallen at the same time but a couple of minutes later he gave Hibs a 1-0 lead and that famous smile was back on his face. Good interplay down our left between Hallberg and Nisbet saw the former turn his man and cross to the far post where Boyle took a touch to steady himself before rifling an effort in off the far post.

As you might expect, Motherwell set about trying to redress the balance and a shot by Long was diverted for a corner. When the ball came in, Mugabi eluded his marker and headed the ball against the post with Marciano beaten. Luckily for Hibs, the ball flew out wide to safety. Wright and Newell then combined to give Murphy a half chance, but his effort was blocked whilst at the other end, O’Hara fired wildly over from the eighteen yard line. Hibs then replaced Wright with Doidge and went to a standard 4-4-2. That change certainly gave Declan Gallagher a thing or two to ponder as up until that point he’d hardly had any aerial threat to deal with.

Hibs were then forced to make a double substitution with a cramping up Hallberg replaced by Stephen McGinn and Jamie Murphy giving way to Jamie Gullan. Murphy’s replacement gave rise to worry as he went off clutching his hamstring.

As the minutes ticked by, I found myself fretting over Hibs perhaps conceding late but this Hibs side was defending with dogged determination. A high ball into the Hibs box was easily collected by Marciano who took a blow to the face from the high hand of Tony Watt. Rocky was down for a wee while and I have to confess my worry levels began to rise in case the interruption messed with Hibs’ concentration.

Clever play by Gullan saw the ball eventually reach Boyle on the edge of the box and his low shot looked as though it would have beaten Archer, but a deflection took the ball just the wrong side of the post. My worries evaporated with a couple of minutes to go when a combination of Boyle and Newell set Doidge up to side foot an effort into the bottom corner with Archer unsighted. Into time added on now and Hibs were controlling proceedings but not only that, they scored a third when Gullan broke on the right of the box and cut the ball back at an angle. Doidge looked tempted to take a touch but presumably got a shout from Stephen McGinn who raced in to side foot an effort into the bottom corner.

All in all, a very satisfactory outcome for Hibs and I have to say that for the early part of the game and for most of the second half we player better football than we have in recent games.

The players

Marciano – Rocky didn’t really have a great deal to do outside of a couple of good saves which he made at vital times. Watt’s hand to the face must have been a sore one as Rocky’s nose in the aftermath would have given Rudolph’s a run for its money.

McGinn (P) – Another very steady performance from Paul although if I were being picky, I’d suggest it was him who ‘lost’ Mugabi for the header that hit the post. As always though, his willingness to run beyond Boyler was very noticeable.

Porteous – Tony Watt is a tricky customer, but I felt Ryan dealt with him well. Struck two or three fine passes out wide and on a couple of other occasions, he did a ‘Hanlon’ by effectively breaking forward out of defence.

Hanlon – Once again, Paul had a fantastic game and is my man of the match. Defended well; used the ball out of defence well and just looked comfortable throughout apart from one sclaffed clearance that sent the ball out for a corner.

Stevenson – I confess I was surprised to see Lewis in the team, given that he’s been out for a few weeks, but I thought apart from a couple of scrappy clearances he defended very well and contributed to an always welcome clean sheet.

Boyle – It was noticeable to me that Boyler got more involved early doors than he has been of late and thankfully he carried that on to the second half where he might have had a hat trick but for Archer’s positioning and a lucky deflection. I hope he’s fit enough to carry on in the weeks to come as he seemed to be stretching his groin on a few occasions.

Hallberg - Melker hasn’t really set the heather on fire since he arrived but today was a good chance to show what he can give and by and large I think he took it. Facing Campbell and Polwarth in the midfield I thought he gave a fine account of himself. Also, his cross for Boyle’s goal was well engineered and well struck.

Wright – As I said earlier, I didn’t feel Wright was offering much up but often, what you do off the ball can be as important as what you do on it. I know many on dot net are losing patience with him, but I hope he gets the chances to win them, and me, over.

Newell – I thought Joe was right up for the challenge today as his often face to face duel with the impressive Allan Campbell, had it been a boxing match, would have seen Joe winning on points. On his game he is a really good player and today I thought he was on his game.

Murphy – Jamie is a clever player and sees passes that others don’t at times. Today I felt he was a little bit peripheral in phases and I hope his injury doesn’t keep him out of the side in the weeks ahead.

Nisbet – Playing largely on his own up front it was a hard shift for Kevin, but you’ve got to give the laddie credit as his head never seems to go down.

Doidge – The big fella did well when he came on and his presence meant both Motherwell centre backs had to stay deeper as until Doidge’s arrival one or the other of Mugabi and Gallagher was breaking forward. In the right place at the right time, he took his match clinching goal well.

Gullan – On a couple of occasions I was almost breathless following Jamie’s excellent ball control that made space for him to escape his marker. A key role in the third goal proved he has the nous to lift his head when the need arises.

McGinn (S) – What is it with these McGinn blokes? Another goal from one of them and a very calmly taken goal it was too.

Jack Ross – I don’t know what he said at half time, but it worked as Hibs looked much more assured in that second forty five.

The referee – Last time out I praised Kevin Clancy and today I’m praising Andrew Dallas. Who’d have thought it?


Another great analysis, great second half from Hibs and for Motherwell to be awarded two 3-0 results is scandalous, those running our game need routed from top to bottom

[hibbydog]

Thanks for posting.

Really don’t get the hoo-hah about the disallowed goal.

Yes, it wasn’t a foul but the referee blows his whistle a good second before the ball hits the net, so Marciano doesn’t bother trying to make a save,

GGTTH

[Forza Fred]

Watching on the laptop at 2am I thought we were abysmal in the first half.

Dunno what they spiked the half time oranges with, but it certainly did the trick and the difference was like night and day.

Can put up with a very ordinary first half if we have second stanzas like this one.

[NAE NOOKIE]

In the first 10 minutes we passed the ball out of play 3 times due to nothing less than slackness. That didn't exactly fill me with optimism and sure enough most of the first half had me shouting at the telly as we failed miserably to put together anything like even average football, thankfully the defence made up for the deficiencies of those in front of them.
As everybody could see it was a far better second half, the highlight of which for me was seeing a central midfielder finally get on the end of a chance in the box, I lost count of the number of times we lost out on a possible goal scoring opportunity during the game because nobody from the midfield took a chance of making a run into the box, even frustratingly when the Hibs wide player who delivered the ball in had been in possession for long enough to allow a midfield run into the area.

Rocky .... 7 ... Had little to do in reality, but his distribution handling and the couple of saves he did have to make were all carried out extremely well.
McGinn P .... 7 .... Defended well and as others have said does a power of work making overlapping runs, which he did often in the 2nd half
Porteous ... 7 ... His best game for a while, defended extremely well and found time to play some decent passes and come forward with the ball.
Hanlon ... 8 .... Absolutely strolled it.
Stevenson .... 7 ..... Like his back 4 mates defended well, apart from one poor header which set up a Motherwell chance. He doesn't have the forward movement of Gullan or Doige in the opposition half, but it's pointless making an issue of it because that's just Lewis.
Newell .... 7 .... The best technical player at Easter Road, his footwork is superb at times and I thought he had his best game for a while. I do wish we could find a way to play him further forward where he could do real damage.
Wright .... 6 ..... Did a job for us today without doing anything spectacular, but hopefully a sign of better to come.
Hallberg ... 6 .... Seems to be our dead ball guy. It was a solid performance from him, though I'm never impressed with professional players having to come off with cramp during a bog standard league match.
Boyle .... 7 .... Got far more involved than he has of late, took his goal superbly and unlucky not to score a second. The Motherwell keepers save from him was just brilliant reflexes, no wonder he looked gutted he hadn't scored.
Murphy ... 5 ..... As quiet as I've seen him in a game, though in the first half we struggled to even get the ball to him, I wonder if he was feeling that hamstring before he had to be subbed.
Nisbet ... 6 .... More than once in the first half he chested the ball down or managed to head it on, but didn't have a Hibs player within 15 yards of him to take advantage, he had a thankless task for a lot of the game, but I have to say he just isn't looking sharp in the box just now.

SUBS:
Doidge .... 5 ..... Took his goal well, but someone else mentioned his lethargy and I felt that too, he really should have tried far harder to attack a pretty decent cross and at one point was so lacking in movement he actually prevented a Hibs player from being able to pass or shoot from a decent position just outside the box.
Gullan ... 5 ... You just get the feeling with this guy that it wouldn't take much to push him to the next level, he looks strong quick and imaginative in flashes.
McGinn S ... 5 ... Apart from his goal I can't recall him touching the ball much, but boy it gladdened my heart to see a midfielder actually make a run into the box and his finish was coolness personified.

The Ref ... I also thought Dallas had a fairly decent game and surprisingly for a Scottish ref managed to keep his cards in his pocket more than usual, though I have to say that after getting away with a blatant trip on Boyle and a few other fouls Gallagher's lunge at Paul McGinn should have been the final straw rather than yet another talking to.

[Greenbeard]

In the first 10 minutes we passed the ball out of play 3 times due to nothing less than slackness. That didn't exactly fill me with optimism and sure enough most of the first half had me shouting at the telly as we failed miserably to put together anything like even average football, thankfully the defence made up for the deficiencies of those in front of them.
As everybody could see it was a far better second half, the highlight of which for me was seeing a central midfielder finally get on the end of a chance in the box, I lost count of the number of times we lost out on a possible goal scoring opportunity during the game because nobody from the midfield took a chance of making a run into the box, even frustratingly when the Hibs wide player who delivered the ball in had been in possession for long enough to allow a midfield run into the area.

Rocky .... 7 ... Had little to do in reality, but his distribution handling and the couple of saves he did have to make were all carried out extremely well.
McGinn P .... 7 .... Defended well and as others have said does a power of work making overlapping runs, which he did often in the 2nd half
Porteous ... 7 ... His best game for a while, defended extremely well and found time to play some decent passes and come forward with the ball.
Hanlon ... 8 .... Absolutely strolled it.
Stevenson .... 7 ..... Like his back 4 mates defended well, apart from one poor header which set up a Motherwell chance. He doesn't have the forward movement of Gullan or Doige in the opposition half, but it's pointless making an issue of it because that's just Lewis.
Newell .... 7 .... The best technical player at Easter Road, his footwork is superb at times and I thought he had his best game for a while. I do wish we could find a way to play him further forward where he could do real damage.
Wright .... 6 ..... Did a job for us today without doing anything spectacular, but hopefully a sign of better to come.
Hallberg ... 6 .... Seems to be our dead ball guy. It was a solid performance from him, though I'm never impressed with professional players having to come off with cramp during a bog standard league match.
Boyle .... 7 .... Got far more involved than he has of late, took his goal superbly and unlucky not to score a second. The Motherwell keepers save from him was just brilliant reflexes, no wonder he looked gutted he hadn't scored.
Murphy ... 5 ..... As quiet as I've seen him in a game, though in the first half we struggled to even get the ball to him, I wonder if he was feeling that hamstring before he had to be subbed.
Nisbet ... 6 .... More than once in the first half he chested the ball down or managed to head it on, but didn't have a Hibs player within 15 yards of him to take advantage, he had a thankless task for a lot of the game, but I have to say he just isn't looking sharp in the box just now.

SUBS:
Doidge .... 5 ..... Took his goal well, but someone else mentioned his lethargy and I felt that too, he really should have tried far harder to attack a pretty decent cross and at one point was so lacking in movement he actually prevented a Hibs player from being able to pass or shoot from a decent position just outside the box.
Gullan ... 5 ... You just get the feeling with this guy that it wouldn't take much to push him to the next level, he looks strong quick and imaginative in flashes.
McGinn S ... 5 ... Apart from his goal I can't recall him touching the ball much, but boy it gladdened my heart to see a midfielder actually make a run into the box and his finish was coolness personified.

The Ref ... I also thought Dallas had a fairly decent game and surprisingly for a Scottish ref managed to keep his cards in his pocket more than usual, though I have to say that after getting away with a blatant trip on Boyle and a few other fouls Gallagher's lunge at Paul McGinn should have been the final straw rather than yet another talking to.
FFS that's another example of how the world has just gone topsy turvy. Climate change, Brexit, Covid. And now I'm agreeing wi sumdie fae Gally. :duck:

[jacomo]

JB thanks again for another wonderful and comprehensive match report.

Jack Ross has been setting us up in a 4-4-2 but I think we have the squad to mix it up a bit, and 4-5-1/4-3-3 gives us a bit more in midfield.

[PeeJay]

Some interesting observations as ever - we need to play the whole 90 minutes like the second half, 3-0 victory at Fir Park is a very decent result ...

[brog]

Excellent as ever John. One thing I think our 2nd half performance showed is that the notion that a ball winner/defensive midfield player is a must is a fallacy. Apart from Stephen McGinn's cameo appearance we had nobody in midfield yesterday who could tackle a fish supper & yet we were excellent. However, if you play with high energy, track back, support player in possession & show for a pass then it can work. As others have mentioned, Nisbet's winning of the ball for the 3rd goal was a perfect example. I agree Doidge was the one player who looked a tad casual but on reflection I think (on 2 occasions) he looked to retain possession rather than try to head for goal. His movement was also very clever for his goal, having gone forward for a through ball he then backtracked to receive the ball outside the box & his finish was sublime. I mentioned in another thread we've won 6 away games this season by a margin of 13-1. That's outstanding & I think reflects that (without a Scott Allan type) we're a better counter attacking team than we are at breaking down a defensive set up. Onwards & upwards¬

[PatHead]

Thorough report as always Jonnyboy.

Got to disagree with your assessment of the referee though.

. Hallberg was very lucky not to get two yellow cards. The missed swipe at the Motherwell player and the foul 30 yards out in the first half. Gallagher could have seen a straight red for his lunge, far less at least a yellow and the"punch"on Rocky was a red anywhere else on the park. Mugabe again was at least a yellow.

The worst of the lot was the disallowed goal.

He did try to let the game flow but there are limits.

[Baldy Foghorn]

In the first 10 minutes we passed the ball out of play 3 times due to nothing less than slackness. That didn't exactly fill me with optimism and sure enough most of the first half had me shouting at the telly as we failed miserably to put together anything like even average football, thankfully the defence made up for the deficiencies of those in front of them.
As everybody could see it was a far better second half, the highlight of which for me was seeing a central midfielder finally get on the end of a chance in the box, I lost count of the number of times we lost out on a possible goal scoring opportunity during the game because nobody from the midfield took a chance of making a run into the box, even frustratingly when the Hibs wide player who delivered the ball in had been in possession for long enough to allow a midfield run into the area.

Rocky .... 7 ... Had little to do in reality, but his distribution handling and the couple of saves he did have to make were all carried out extremely well.
McGinn P .... 7 .... Defended well and as others have said does a power of work making overlapping runs, which he did often in the 2nd half
Porteous ... 7 ... His best game for a while, defended extremely well and found time to play some decent passes and come forward with the ball.
Hanlon ... 8 .... Absolutely strolled it.
Stevenson .... 7 ..... Like his back 4 mates defended well, apart from one poor header which set up a Motherwell chance. He doesn't have the forward movement of Gullan or Doige in the opposition half, but it's pointless making an issue of it because that's just Lewis.
Newell .... 7 .... The best technical player at Easter Road, his footwork is superb at times and I thought he had his best game for a while. I do wish we could find a way to play him further forward where he could do real damage.
Wright .... 6 ..... Did a job for us today without doing anything spectacular, but hopefully a sign of better to come.
Hallberg ... 6 .... Seems to be our dead ball guy. It was a solid performance from him, though I'm never impressed with professional players having to come off with cramp during a bog standard league match.
Boyle .... 7 .... Got far more involved than he has of late, took his goal superbly and unlucky not to score a second. The Motherwell keepers save from him was just brilliant reflexes, no wonder he looked gutted he hadn't scored.
Murphy ... 5 ..... As quiet as I've seen him in a game, though in the first half we struggled to even get the ball to him, I wonder if he was feeling that hamstring before he had to be subbed.
Nisbet ... 6 .... More than once in the first half he chested the ball down or managed to head it on, but didn't have a Hibs player within 15 yards of him to take advantage, he had a thankless task for a lot of the game, but I have to say he just isn't looking sharp in the box just now.

SUBS:
Doidge .... 5 ..... Took his goal well, but someone else mentioned his lethargy and I felt that too, he really should have tried far harder to attack a pretty decent cross and at one point was so lacking in movement he actually prevented a Hibs player from being able to pass or shoot from a decent position just outside the box.
Gullan ... 5 ... You just get the feeling with this guy that it wouldn't take much to push him to the next level, he looks strong quick and imaginative in flashes.
McGinn S ... 5 ... Apart from his goal I can't recall him touching the ball much, but boy it gladdened my heart to see a midfielder actually make a run into the box and his finish was coolness personified.

The Ref ... I also thought Dallas had a fairly decent game and surprisingly for a Scottish ref managed to keep his cards in his pocket more than usual, though I have to say that after getting away with a blatant trip on Boyle and a few other fouls Gallagher's lunge at Paul McGinn should have been the final straw rather than yet another talking to.

I agree with Hallberg cramp point, however, he was wearing an ice pack on his right knee in the dug out after going off.

FWIW I didn't think Hallberg, Murphy or Wright made any real impact, and we got better when the subs were made (I know Hallberg crossed for the 1st goal)

[Peevemor]

I love the way that Doidge decides to leave the ball for McGinn for the 3rd goal. You can see McGinn acknowledging this in the celebration. It may not be much, but we've mucked up these simple things too often in the past.