I WANT SNORE DRAW
Paul wants to ditch excitement of first leg, grind out a nil-nil bore and scrape though
PAUL HANLON would love Hibs to bore their way past Asteras Tripolis in their Europa League clash tonight.
The Easter Road defender is well aware a record of 20 goals scored and 12 conceded in their last five games scores high on entertainment value but is no recipe for success.
Last week’s first-leg clash with the Greeks saw the net bustle five times during an emotional rollercoaster that eventually saw Neil Lennon’s side emerge with a 3-2 win after recovering from two down.
But Hanlon doesn’t want a repeat of the high drama at the Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium this evening and insists a safe passage into the third qualifying round rests on a rare quiet night at the back.
He said: “From a defender’s point of view, a 0-0 draw, boring, nothing happening would be ideal and that will get us through to the next round.
“Whatever it takes to get us through, that’s all that matters. You never know we could end up 2-0 down early doors again and we have to do it all again.
“Stopping goals is a team responsibility and the back line will take most of the blame for it – but it’s something we need to tidy up because we’ve conceded a few slack goals so far.
“If we can do that then I’m sure we will be in a much better position.”
Hibs fans need to rewind all the way back to 1972 for the last time they progressed through two rounds of European competition when they were eventually knocked out by Hajduk Split in the quarter-final of the Cup Winners’ Cup.
History beckons for Neil Lennon’s men if they can edge out Asteras and with over 1000 fans travelling to Greece, Hanlon is determined to write a new chapter in the club’s continental adventures.
He said: “It’s not about worrying about what happened in the past with previous records, it’s our chance to do as well as we can and we’ve put ourselves in a good position.
“It’s huge for the club and the fans are travelling in big numbers to watch us.
“Financially, it’s massive for the club but all we’ve done is put ourselves in a good position and we need to be even better than we were in the home game.”
The boyhood Hibs fan was only 10 when he was inside Easter Road for a Europa League clash against AEK Athens that ended in the heartache of an extra-time exit.
But last week’s classic against Asteras triggered fond memories of that 2001 encounter for Hanlon.
He said: “The main European game I can remember growing up as a fan was going to the AEK game. It was an unbelievable atmosphere at Easter Road.
“We came so close to going through and I’m sure a lot of fans remember that match as a massive game in Hibs’ European history.
“I was only 10 but I remember it quite clearly. The West Stand was not that long built as well so it was a great atmosphere that night. I was in that stand and it was a great night growing up watching Hibs.
“Last Thursday was a good one as well. Fans will probably look back on it as being a memorable game with the way we came back.
“There were good goals with both teams attacking and it was a good match. It had a bit of everything – a sending-off as well.
“Hopefully it’s one the fans remember but we want to create more memories going on in the tournament.”
As a stalwart with a decade of service at Hibs, the 28-year-old admits a successful run in Europe is something he hopes to address as he prepares for the next hurdle against Asteras.
He said: “I really enjoy these European games. It’s different cultures and stadia.
“I’m just desperate to do well because the further you go, the better teams you come up against.
“It would be great to make a mark in Europe but we need to take every tie as it comes.
“We know how hard it is now for Scottish teams to get into the group stage but we’ve given ourselves a good chance to progress.”
Asteras showed in Edinburgh that they may be behind in match sharpness with the start of their domestic campaign still a few weeks away but they possess a physical challenge with pace and technical excellence throughout their side.
The task in hand for Hibs will also be to exercise calm and patience against Asteras this evening – and Hanlon admits coping with the occasion is also a key challenge.
He said: “Temperament and mindset are massive factors in any game. We’re going to their home patch with a lead and I’m sure they will maybe change their game plan a bit because they’ve got to score.
“We’ll be ready for whatever they throw at us but it will be even harder over here.”