PAUL: I WAS HAVING BALL AFTER BRACE
PAUL McGINN was sure he would leave Easter Road with the match ball after discovering his eye for goal against St Johnstone.
But all he took home was a sense of frustration.
The 30-year-old was the unlikeliest of saviours for Jack Ross’ side on Tuesday evening, notching a brace to peg back Saints twice and rescue a point.
McGinn had only previously scored 12 career goals, with his best tally for a single campaign coming in at a modest three, achieved with Queen’s Park in 2012-13 and St Mirren in 2018-19.
Yet the Scotland hopeful finished like a seasoned striker against Callum Davidson’s troops – and thought he was about to bag his hat-trick when a Sean Mackie delivery almost fell in his path.
He smiled and said: “I was sneaking in at the back post right at the end thinking, ‘I’m on a hat-trick and this is coming across’ – I was getting a bit excited.
“On that night, I’d have fancied myself to finish it.
“I’ve had a few texts from people coming out the woodwork who usually only text me to slag me off – so it’s nice to get a few plaudits for a change!”
McGinn’s delight at rippling the net on two occasions could not hide the overwhelming sense of annoyance, with the ex-Dundee and Partick Thistle man slamming Hibs’ lack of quality on the ball during a second successive 2-2 draw.
The Hibees have now tasted triumph in just one of their last five league fixtures. McGinn said: “It was good to drag us off the canvas but there’s a sense of frustration with how poor we were on the ball. I didn’t go home happy.
“There were a few chances at 1-1 for us to sneak ahead and I would have really fancied us from there. It was just an annoying night and I didn’t sleep well after it.”
McGinn’s star showing capped a tumultuous three days for the player, who was controversially penalised for handball during Hibs’ breathless stalemate against Celtic.
Odsonne Edouard converted the spot-kick before Diego Laxalt completed a dramatic comeback in the dying embers at the weekend, leaving McGinn rueing the collapse – and the current laws of the game.
He added: “It was just a sore one to take that it was me who had my hand there and was punished.
“I’m not sure what I was supposed to do with it... I’ll chop it off next time!”