Originally Posted by
Jonnyboy
Usually, when I write after a defeat my over riding emotion is one of disappointment. Tonight, the disappointment is there but is nothing as compared to the anger I am feeling. Mikey Stewart summed it up perfectly for me “Hibs had the chance, but they’ve blown it.” Bossing it for thirty minutes was all well and good but when you miss gilt edged chances to score you often pay the penalty and boy, did we pay that penalty, big style. Watching a Hibs side display little or no drive and even more distressingly little or no fight when it mattered, I’m not surprised that Jack Ross said he was angry in his post-match interview. The thing is though Jack, you’re as much to blame as the players if not more so.
Our tactics were baffling to me. Yes, they seemed to be working for the first thirty minutes or so, but once St. Johnstone figured us out, we failed to adjust and that is down to the manager. Defensively we were a horror show, midfield with the exception of Irvine was as poor as I’ve ever witnessed and up front, other than the first thirty minutes, we were disjointed and lacking in guile. Things were happening on the park that I could see needed adjustment, but none were forthcoming. In their summarising, Ally McCoist and the loathsome Steven Craigan stated the obvious in highlighting where Hibs had gone wrong. It seems to me that Jack Ross has a lot to answer for and I just wish he’d be angry at the players before games – show a bit of passion, man.
As to the game, the line up looked decent at least on paper. Rocky rightly resumed in goals and Cadden made the starting eleven. Almost from the off I found myself asking why Doidge was excluded given our main tactic seemed to be getting the ball wide and then delivered into the box with height on it. The Saints defenders just gobbled that up.
Without really creating anything of note, Hibs enjoyed the bulk of the early possession, but St Johnstone defended their goal well. Around the twenty minute mark, Paul Hanlon hooked a shot goalwards, but Clark palmed it away to the side. Moments later the ball broke to the unmarked Jamie Murphy whose low shot struck the legs of Clark and came back to him. With the goal gaping, Murphy tried to loop the ball over the recovering Clark but only succeeded in striking the bar. Both chances were gilt edged and there can be no defence of Murphy for missing them.
Five minutes later a Boyle cross picked out Jackson Irvine and his deft flick with the head had Clark worried but drifted the wrong side of the post. At the other end, Kane had a header easily saved by Marciano before Hibs put the pressure back on the Saints defence and a good cross from Hanlon saw Irvine steer an effort at goal, but the ball hit the outside of the post and flew wide.
St. Johnstone settled a bit now and started to look a bit of a threat. With ten minutes to go until the break the Perth men took the lead. A corner to the far post caught Porteous underneath the ball and Hanlon too slow to react as Jason Kerr leapt to power the ball past Marciano with a brilliant header. Hibs looked shell shocked as St. Johnstone took control of the remainder of the half.
Surely Hibs would come out after the break and start to put pressure on the Saints defence. Instead, four minutes in, a Conway free kick delivered into the Hibs area was once again missed by Porteous being under the flight of the ball and Hanlon being easily brushed aside as Rooney bulleted home a header to make it 2-0. Soon after, Doidge replaced the ineffective Cadden and Hibs switched to a 4-4-2, no doubt hoping their high ball into the box tactic might gain some reward, but the truth is, by this time, St Johnstone were more than comfortable, and Hibs just looked more and more disorganised.
As the hour mark approached, Gogic got free in the right of the eighteen yard line and as I prayed for another Kilmarnock type finish all I got was a weak effort that trickled harmlessly behind. Next, Murphy blasted one high and wide and Hibs in trying to push for a goal were leaving themselves horribly open at the back.
Over the years I’ve heard it said that opponents attacked the area occupied by Lewis Stevenson and today I witnessed an opponent who targeted the area occupied by Josh Doig. With little or no support, the laddie was exposed defensively on many an occasion and Shaun Rooney, who would go on to be named as man of the match gave the laddie a torrid time of it. Also prominent in that area was David Wotherspoon who played to great effect. Those two combined to split Hibs open in the left back area and Rooney’s low ball across the face of the goal was fired home by Craig Conway.
To be honest, the game was done and dusted by now and Hibs offered little in the remaining thirty odd minutes. The only bright spot for me in that time period was the welcome appearance of Scott Allan who replaced Murphy. Hibs huffed and puffed but got nowhere near worrying a dominant St. Johnstone and it was a relief to me when Nick Walsh blew the final whistle.
The players
Marciano – Rocky had no chance with the goals conceded to headers and if I’m being picky, I might suggest that the ball across the area for the third goal was inside the six yard box and the keeper might have cut it out before it reached Conway.
McGinn – Not one of Paul’s best displays and he lost his man for the third goal.
Porteous – I thought Ryan was at fault for the first and partially responsible for the loss of the second. His positional sense for high balls into our box, normally spot on, was appalling today.
Hanlon – I’ve spoken up for Paul when I felt some of the criticism was unfair, but I can’t defend him tonight. He was brushed off the ball for the second goal and his distribution throughout was horrendous, barring that one cross for Irvine’s header.
Cadden – Looked like he was towing a tractor most of the time and I can’t understand why Jack Ross felt he would be match fit enough to start a cup semi. Once or twice, he showed up well in a defensive sense but otherwise a non-descript performance.
Irvine – For me, Jackson was the one bright spot in an abject team performance. Unlucky with those two headers in the first half it astonished me how much energy was in his play given his long lay off before joining Hibs. On a day where we were awful, I think Irvine did enough to win my man of the match award.
Gogic – Alex seems to have one good game then one bad game. He had a good game last time out, so you know where I’m going with this.
Murphy – Nobody with his skill set should miss gilt edged chances like those presented to him today.
Doig – Poor Josh was targeted today, and he suffered due to lack of support from Murphy in particular. His defensive frailties were there for all to see I’m afraid.
Boyle – When is he going to show what we all know he is capable of? Never successfully took on a man today and bottled it a few times in fifty, fifty challenges.
Nisbet – As quiet as I’ve ever seen him, but I guess when you get no service, you’re unlikely to stand out much.
Doidge – Anonymous for forty minutes.
Magennis – Anonymous for thirty five minutes.
Allan – A joy to see him back and it was great to hear Mikey Stewart gasp at one of Scotty’s control and turn moves which took two opponents out of the game.
Jack Ross – Says he’s angry and I suppose he will be but as well as looking at his players he needs to look very closely at himself.
Referee – Nick Walsh did ok. A bit fussy at times but no major errors.
Next up, the Rangers come to town and if we play like we did today, I fear for the outcome.
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