Jonnyboy
21-05-2023, 03:46 PM
All the talk coming out of the Easter Road dressing room, ahead of the clash with the Rangers, hinted strongly that all was well and that the players were totally aware of the importance of the game and had been working hard in preparation but sadly encouraging words don’t always lead to encouraging performances. Ironically, although we lost 3-1, I felt that up until the first goal, Lee Johnson’s plan of stifling the game and then hitting on the break had worked fairly well. It’s not pretty to watch but given we were heavily punished for being so open in the last clash between the two teams, it was perhaps understandable as a tactic. Sadly, we gifted them an opener, or rather, in my view, Marshall gifted them an opener, we were always on the back foot after that.
I had hoped that, just as we did against Hearts, we’d start on the front foot, closing down the ball and nipping at the ankles of opponents but in fact it was the visitors that started the stronger and within the first few minutes struck the bar through Souttar following a Tavernier corner. Another corner from the same taker found the head of Leon King who headed just wide of the target and then Marshall scrambled a clearance after Cantwell prodded the ball towards the goal. All of that happened in the first five minutes until, eventually, Hibs got on the front foot and won a corner that, when Newell delivered, McCrorie flapped at the ball and was thankful his defenders covered for his mistake.
It seemed to me that referee Alan Muir needed little encouragement in awarding the visitors a free kick every time one of their players fell over with Cantwell the main ‘offender’ and resultant shots brought a comfortable save from Marshall and a relieved look on the defenders’ faces when Lundstram ballooned a shocking effort miles over the bar from a good position. Slowly, Hibs were beginning to get forward a bit more and a fabulous through ball by Will Fish sent Youan free, but the striker’s poor effort was screwed wide of the post. The visitors continued to enjoy more possession than the hosts but were finding it difficult to break through a well organised rear guard in open play. At the other end, a lovely Youan cross was headed narrowly wide by Nisbet but in truth Hibs were enjoying very little meaningful possession.
Just past the half hour mark, a soft free kick was awarded to the visitors when Egan-Riley was adjudged to have fouled Cantwell wide on the Hibs right. To me, it looked like one of those instances when a player tries to knock the ball past the defender and then crashes into him. I mean, where was Egan-Riley meant to go? As Hagi and Tavernier stood over the ball, Marshall put his wall in place but to no avail as Tavernier struck the ball hard and fast towards the near post and Marshall failed to keep it out. There’s no denying it was a lovely strike but surely one that Marshall could and should have saved.
For a spell, the heads of the Hibs players went down, and Lundstram had a golden chance to double the lead only to mess it up by shooting wide. The hosts picked themselves up again and Newell flashed an effort on target only for King to stick out a timely foot to divert the danger. A few minutes later, Fish struck a cracking pass out wide to Nisbet who took a couple of strides and with the outside of his right foot curved a lovely low ball to the back post where Josh Campbell arrived but somehow hit his shot wide when scoring looked easier. As half time approached, Sakala headed wide and then Cantwell witnessed a low drive being blocked by Egan-Riley.
Neither side made changes, but it was clear straight away that Lee Johnson had instructed his players to play more on the front foot and to do things with more pace rather than at the stunted pace that had been the case before. Having to rush things a bit more, Lundstram and Cantwell were both guilty of committing fouls that looked to me, but not Alan Muir, to warrant at least a telling off if not a yellow card. Five minutes in and from another superb pass from Will Fish, Youan dallied just a little too long in getting a shot away and was crowded out. Moments later, McCrorie flapped again, and the ball arrived on the head of Nisbet who went for goal, only for his effort to go agonisingly wide of the target.
As Hibs worked on making their increased possession pay, the Rangers struck again in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Sakala fed Hagi on the edge of the box and the latter smashed the ball towards goal, but it hit a defender and bounced straight back to Hagi who rifled a fierce shot past an unsighted Marshall. I say bizarre not because it wasn’t a good goal but because Hagi’s first shot brought a massive roar for hand ball by the visiting hordes behind that goal and I was left wondering what might have happened had Alan Muir blew for a penalty before Hagi’s second effort hit the back of the net. It all happened very quickly and ‘maybe’ Mr Muir would have awarded a penalty had Hagi’s second effort been blocked or diverted.
It was a bit of a kick in the teeth for Hibs after Nisbet had gone so close to grabbing an equaliser and so within a few minutes of conceding, Lee Johnson made a triple change in replacing Jeggo, Campbell and Cadden with Henderson, McKirdy and Doyle-Hayes, in the hope, I’m sure, that it made the line up more offensive. Part of McKirdy’s role seemed to be to try and stop Tavernier getting forward so easily and to an extent it worked as the Rangers man found he was having to actually defend. Even allowing for that, the visitors still moved forward even if they were doing so less aggressively, perhaps feeling their two goal cushion would suffice. A weak Sakala shot was easily gathered by Marshall as the game really descended into a midfield battle with neither side looking more menacing than the other.
A Henderson cross found Nisbet at the back post and the latter’s headed effort was on target until McCrorie stuck out his hand and diverted the ball onto the post. Since arriving on the park, Doyle-Hayes had been toe-to-toe with Cantwell, nipping at his ankles and not allowing him time on the ball. Exception was taken to one challenge and both players ended up in the referee’s book for a bit of pushing and shoving. After the card, Doyle-Hayes walked away but Cantwell was clearly giving Alan Muir grief, probably in the safe knowledge that he’d get away with it.
Henderson and Lundstram each had shots blocked before Yilmaz fizzed a ball just wide of the target. As Matthew Hoppe came on to replace Youan I heard a comment along the lines of Youan should have been off ages ago. Certainly, Elie’s performance had been more frustrating than entertaining. Egan-Riley had also run his course and was replaced by Lewis Miller before Nisbet was then booked for a challenge on Lowry. To my mind, the challenge was out of frustration as Kevin had ben fouled a number of times without the referee awarding free kicks.
With around five minutes to go, the Rangers struck again as Hibs made a mess of clearing the ball and Cantwell was on hand to cash in. It pains me to say it but once again I thought Marshall was found wanting when he let the ball hit him and run free rather than attempting to hold it into his body. The game was certainly dead now and the visitors rubbed our noses in it a bit by bringing on three youngsters whose names I had never heard before. Into time added on, McKirdy made space on the left and cracked a shot at goal that had McRorie diving to his left to divert the ball past the post for a corner that led to a consolation goal for Hibs as Hanlon stooped low at the front post to head a Newell corner into the net.
I had to laugh when I heard the pundits on the radio saying that losing had made Hibs’ job hard but still doable. For me I’m thinking we might struggle to finish fifth let alone third.
The players
Marshall – At fault for at least one goal today and it is becoming a habit. We are caught between a rock and a hard place as there’s no experienced keeper to replace him and if we chucked young Johnson in at the deep end it might be a lot too much to ask of him.
Egan-Riley – The movement of their attacking midfielders caused problems as he was often left with two players to mark.
Fish – A couple of cracking cross field passes and he handled Sakala pretty well.
Hanlon – Similar to Fish he defended well enough although I guess it could be argued that the defence conceded three goals so didn’t defend that well. For me, two goalkeeping errors didn’t help.
Stevenson – They got past him a couple of times but other than that he was solid enough.
Jeggo – Their midfield ran all over him.
Cadden – Largely anonymous.
Campbell – So off the boil it’s becoming concerning.
Newell – Was the one midfield player who tried to push us on and to carry out the press effectively so he was the best of a poor bunch in earning my man of the match award.
Youan – Takes far too many touches when receiving a pass and that can negate the threat of his speedy breakaway’s.
Nisbet – A couple of efforts he was unlucky not to score from.
Doyle-Hayes – Probably brought on to negate Cantwell and to a great extent it worked as Cantwell was gifted his goal by poor defending/goalkeeping.
Henderson – A couple of nice passes and a good cross for Nisbet’s header that was pushed onto the bar.
McKirdy – Lively and at least drew a save from McCrorie.
Hoppe – Not a lot to say about him to be honest.
Miller – Had a decent ten minutes.
Lee Johnson – Gambled on keeping it tight and hitting on the break. It didn’t really work but given our pasting last time out I’m not surprised he tried it.
Referee – Alan Muir was more than happy awarding free kicks to the Rangers. Not so much to Hibs (t here’s a surprise).
I had hoped that, just as we did against Hearts, we’d start on the front foot, closing down the ball and nipping at the ankles of opponents but in fact it was the visitors that started the stronger and within the first few minutes struck the bar through Souttar following a Tavernier corner. Another corner from the same taker found the head of Leon King who headed just wide of the target and then Marshall scrambled a clearance after Cantwell prodded the ball towards the goal. All of that happened in the first five minutes until, eventually, Hibs got on the front foot and won a corner that, when Newell delivered, McCrorie flapped at the ball and was thankful his defenders covered for his mistake.
It seemed to me that referee Alan Muir needed little encouragement in awarding the visitors a free kick every time one of their players fell over with Cantwell the main ‘offender’ and resultant shots brought a comfortable save from Marshall and a relieved look on the defenders’ faces when Lundstram ballooned a shocking effort miles over the bar from a good position. Slowly, Hibs were beginning to get forward a bit more and a fabulous through ball by Will Fish sent Youan free, but the striker’s poor effort was screwed wide of the post. The visitors continued to enjoy more possession than the hosts but were finding it difficult to break through a well organised rear guard in open play. At the other end, a lovely Youan cross was headed narrowly wide by Nisbet but in truth Hibs were enjoying very little meaningful possession.
Just past the half hour mark, a soft free kick was awarded to the visitors when Egan-Riley was adjudged to have fouled Cantwell wide on the Hibs right. To me, it looked like one of those instances when a player tries to knock the ball past the defender and then crashes into him. I mean, where was Egan-Riley meant to go? As Hagi and Tavernier stood over the ball, Marshall put his wall in place but to no avail as Tavernier struck the ball hard and fast towards the near post and Marshall failed to keep it out. There’s no denying it was a lovely strike but surely one that Marshall could and should have saved.
For a spell, the heads of the Hibs players went down, and Lundstram had a golden chance to double the lead only to mess it up by shooting wide. The hosts picked themselves up again and Newell flashed an effort on target only for King to stick out a timely foot to divert the danger. A few minutes later, Fish struck a cracking pass out wide to Nisbet who took a couple of strides and with the outside of his right foot curved a lovely low ball to the back post where Josh Campbell arrived but somehow hit his shot wide when scoring looked easier. As half time approached, Sakala headed wide and then Cantwell witnessed a low drive being blocked by Egan-Riley.
Neither side made changes, but it was clear straight away that Lee Johnson had instructed his players to play more on the front foot and to do things with more pace rather than at the stunted pace that had been the case before. Having to rush things a bit more, Lundstram and Cantwell were both guilty of committing fouls that looked to me, but not Alan Muir, to warrant at least a telling off if not a yellow card. Five minutes in and from another superb pass from Will Fish, Youan dallied just a little too long in getting a shot away and was crowded out. Moments later, McCrorie flapped again, and the ball arrived on the head of Nisbet who went for goal, only for his effort to go agonisingly wide of the target.
As Hibs worked on making their increased possession pay, the Rangers struck again in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Sakala fed Hagi on the edge of the box and the latter smashed the ball towards goal, but it hit a defender and bounced straight back to Hagi who rifled a fierce shot past an unsighted Marshall. I say bizarre not because it wasn’t a good goal but because Hagi’s first shot brought a massive roar for hand ball by the visiting hordes behind that goal and I was left wondering what might have happened had Alan Muir blew for a penalty before Hagi’s second effort hit the back of the net. It all happened very quickly and ‘maybe’ Mr Muir would have awarded a penalty had Hagi’s second effort been blocked or diverted.
It was a bit of a kick in the teeth for Hibs after Nisbet had gone so close to grabbing an equaliser and so within a few minutes of conceding, Lee Johnson made a triple change in replacing Jeggo, Campbell and Cadden with Henderson, McKirdy and Doyle-Hayes, in the hope, I’m sure, that it made the line up more offensive. Part of McKirdy’s role seemed to be to try and stop Tavernier getting forward so easily and to an extent it worked as the Rangers man found he was having to actually defend. Even allowing for that, the visitors still moved forward even if they were doing so less aggressively, perhaps feeling their two goal cushion would suffice. A weak Sakala shot was easily gathered by Marshall as the game really descended into a midfield battle with neither side looking more menacing than the other.
A Henderson cross found Nisbet at the back post and the latter’s headed effort was on target until McCrorie stuck out his hand and diverted the ball onto the post. Since arriving on the park, Doyle-Hayes had been toe-to-toe with Cantwell, nipping at his ankles and not allowing him time on the ball. Exception was taken to one challenge and both players ended up in the referee’s book for a bit of pushing and shoving. After the card, Doyle-Hayes walked away but Cantwell was clearly giving Alan Muir grief, probably in the safe knowledge that he’d get away with it.
Henderson and Lundstram each had shots blocked before Yilmaz fizzed a ball just wide of the target. As Matthew Hoppe came on to replace Youan I heard a comment along the lines of Youan should have been off ages ago. Certainly, Elie’s performance had been more frustrating than entertaining. Egan-Riley had also run his course and was replaced by Lewis Miller before Nisbet was then booked for a challenge on Lowry. To my mind, the challenge was out of frustration as Kevin had ben fouled a number of times without the referee awarding free kicks.
With around five minutes to go, the Rangers struck again as Hibs made a mess of clearing the ball and Cantwell was on hand to cash in. It pains me to say it but once again I thought Marshall was found wanting when he let the ball hit him and run free rather than attempting to hold it into his body. The game was certainly dead now and the visitors rubbed our noses in it a bit by bringing on three youngsters whose names I had never heard before. Into time added on, McKirdy made space on the left and cracked a shot at goal that had McRorie diving to his left to divert the ball past the post for a corner that led to a consolation goal for Hibs as Hanlon stooped low at the front post to head a Newell corner into the net.
I had to laugh when I heard the pundits on the radio saying that losing had made Hibs’ job hard but still doable. For me I’m thinking we might struggle to finish fifth let alone third.
The players
Marshall – At fault for at least one goal today and it is becoming a habit. We are caught between a rock and a hard place as there’s no experienced keeper to replace him and if we chucked young Johnson in at the deep end it might be a lot too much to ask of him.
Egan-Riley – The movement of their attacking midfielders caused problems as he was often left with two players to mark.
Fish – A couple of cracking cross field passes and he handled Sakala pretty well.
Hanlon – Similar to Fish he defended well enough although I guess it could be argued that the defence conceded three goals so didn’t defend that well. For me, two goalkeeping errors didn’t help.
Stevenson – They got past him a couple of times but other than that he was solid enough.
Jeggo – Their midfield ran all over him.
Cadden – Largely anonymous.
Campbell – So off the boil it’s becoming concerning.
Newell – Was the one midfield player who tried to push us on and to carry out the press effectively so he was the best of a poor bunch in earning my man of the match award.
Youan – Takes far too many touches when receiving a pass and that can negate the threat of his speedy breakaway’s.
Nisbet – A couple of efforts he was unlucky not to score from.
Doyle-Hayes – Probably brought on to negate Cantwell and to a great extent it worked as Cantwell was gifted his goal by poor defending/goalkeeping.
Henderson – A couple of nice passes and a good cross for Nisbet’s header that was pushed onto the bar.
McKirdy – Lively and at least drew a save from McCrorie.
Hoppe – Not a lot to say about him to be honest.
Miller – Had a decent ten minutes.
Lee Johnson – Gambled on keeping it tight and hitting on the break. It didn’t really work but given our pasting last time out I’m not surprised he tried it.
Referee – Alan Muir was more than happy awarding free kicks to the Rangers. Not so much to Hibs (t here’s a surprise).