HONOURS EVEN IN PERTH AS PATON HANDS HIBS A LIFELINE
ONE flash of the right boot and it looked like all that chirruping, all that moaning, all that knocking on doors had been worth it.
Martin Boyle was ruled out for six weeks with a stretched tendon in his foot just over a month ago. He has been determined to beat the diagnosis, though. Eager to get himself back involved in Hibs’ grand return to the Premiership.
Neil Lennon let him loose almost two weeks ahead of schedule yesterday and he played such an important role in putting the Easter Road side in the ascendancy over the 90 minutes at McDiarmid Park with his energy and movement.
With just six minutes left and Hibs piling on the pressure during a late bombardment, having seen a Paul Paton own goal cancel out a 48th-minute opener from prolific loanee Michael O’Halloran, his moment of glory came.
Danny Swanson rolled the ball across the 18-yard box and he met it so sweetly. He was already embarking upon his celebration routine when goalkeeper Alan Mannus jumped to his left and threw up a hand to turn it on to the crossbar and over.
Simon Murray then saw a header hacked off the line by Steven MacLean from a John McGinn corner before Anthony Stokes blazed high and wide from a good position in the closing moments as Hibs, as a whole, failed to gain the reward their efforts deserved.
Lennon announced himself delighted with the application and attitude of his players, but that came as no consolation to Boyle as he reflected upon the instant which saw a good comeback prevented from being a great one.
‘I thought my shot was going in,’ said the former Dundee man. ‘I was already running away only to be brought back down to earth. It was an unbelievable save.
‘It is great to be back. I’ve been nipping the physio’s head every day. I’ve just got a wee strapping on just now that’s getting me through games.’
‘But we should have won that game. It was points dropped and a frustrating day.’
The first really good opportunity opened up for the home side with MacLean seeing an attempt from the edge of the six-yard box go just wide of the post.
However, Hibs began to seize the initiative as the half went on and came close to the opener on 40 minutes when David Gray sent a shot just over the crossbar from eight yards out.
The away side were on the offensive again early in the second period before Saints produced an excellent example of clinical counter-attacking football to take the lead.
Richard Foster had blocked a Murray shot inside the Saints area and the ball broke out wide to substitute Liam Craig, brought on at half-time for Callum Davidson. He hared up the left flank and delivered a low, tantalising ball towards the back post that was only ever going to be converted by one man. Enter O’Halloran.
He had evaded everyone to find himself in splendid isolation just a matter of yards out and was never going to pass up the opportunity of scoring his fifth goal in as many games for the Perth men.
In truth, Saints lacked the necessary spark in the second half, in particular, and it was no surprise that Hibs got themselves back into things. Justice, really, you might say.
On the hour mark, a ball forward evaded the outstretched leg of home centre-half Steven Anderson. Murray got in behind on the lefthand side and fired a powerful low ball across goal for Stokes.
Paton slid in to try to avert the danger and put the ball into his own net, but he had little option as the Hibs forward was sure to score.
From that point onwards, there only ever looked like being one winner with St Johnstone skating on very thin ice at the end.
‘We totally dominated all aspects of the game,’ said Lennon.
‘We matched them physically and the football we played at times was outstanding.
‘St Johnstone don’t give much away, but we had clear-cut opportunities and that pleases me more than anything else. The only thing that doesn’t please me is that we didn’t take them.
‘That’s two games away from home where we have completely dominated. And the style of football is good, the pace we are playing at.
‘St Johnstone defend very well and don’t give much away, but we cut them open at will at times. If we had shown a little more composure, we would have won.’
Saints did dig in and hold on, though. That is what they do. They remain unbeaten and unbowed. And more power to them for it.