PORT OF CAP CALL
Ryan’s flying after spell with Scots as he hails Hibs mentor Hanlon for pipping him to first cap
RYAN PORTEOUS returned from international duty without any minutes but couldn’t have been happier team-mate and mentor Paul Hanlon emerged as man of the hour.
As the Hibs defender learned later in a message from national boss Steve Clarke to club gaffer Jack Ross, he had been close to winning his first Scotland cap.
Instead, that honour came for Hanlon at the age of 30 as a sub against the Czech Republic.
The pair were back in action in Hibs jerseys in Dingwall on a day when defences were on top despite attacking intent and energy from both sides.
Porteous, Hanlon, Paul McGinn and new Cyprus cap Alex Gogic were all returning from duty and the young centre-half reckons the days of decrying our domestic game should be over.
The 21-year-old said: “I felt a lot better this time with Scotland, more ready and up to the standard of the high-intensity training.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my team-mates. I’m there because of those around me – Paul Hanlon and McGinn as well.
“Maybe there was a bit of stick beforehand with people saying we haven’t got the quality at centre-half but Declan Gallagher and Andy Considine have shown the quality in this league is just as good as anything down south.
“Anybody can go in if they are ready but the high standards mean it’s a tough team to break into at centre-half.
“I’m delighted to have broken into the squad once and hopefully I’ll get another chance next month. If not, hopefully I’ll get a call from the Under-21s.
“It was brilliant for Paul getting on because we were saying before the game it would be me or him. I’m more than happy it was him.
“He’s guided me through games since I came into the Hibs team and h e l ped me develop. Hopefully he gets more caps.”
Perhaps it was the Scotland feelgood factor or maybe just a growing familiarity among players of running out in empty stadiums but Saturday’s contest was full of endeavour. Hibs may have held the greater threat, with Kyle Magennis cracking the inside of a post amid an early barrage of pressure, but the Staggies had their moments. It was a wasted chance for both sides, with Ross’ side letting slip an opportunity to extend their two-point cushion over Aberdeen and close in on Old Firm losers Celtic. Porteous acknowledged that but admitted their out-of-sorts display improved after the break.
He said: “Aye, it was a missed opportunity. We started well, had chances and maybe could have had a penalty.
“But we were sloppy in the first half and looked like a team who hadn’t played together for a few weeks. We were never under real threat to concede a goal but it is two points lost.
“This is not an easy place to come to and win. You could see from their reaction at the end that they were happy with the point.
“That’s maybe testament to how
much more teams respect us this season. You’ l l always look at the results elsewhere and we are probably looking at it as two points dropped. We wanted the gap on Aberdeen to become a bit bigger but we were fortunate they dropped points too.
“We move on knowing there were positives. We created chances, could have scored, kept a clean shape and were never really under pressure.”
Martin Boyle cut a couple of chances wide from decent positions and the pressure continued with Kevin Nisbet’s low strike knocked off the line by Alex Iacovitti after keeper Ross Doohan, in for dropped Ross Laidlaw, had been beaten. Magennis struck a post before Hibs howled for a penalty eight minutes into the second half after Regan Charles-Cook’s saving tackle left Nisbet writhing in pain. But referee Nick Walsh wasn’t convinced and seemed to call it right in waving away appeals.
County keeper Doohan, on loan from Celtic Park, did well with several strong saves.
The Staggies were reduced to 10 men 11 minutes from time when Connor Randall failed to deal with a high ball over the top and took down Boyle in a lastman offence.
County, though, felt they should have had a penalty soon after when Michael Gardyne’s surge forward ended with Ross Stewart tumbling to the deck inside the box under McGinn’s attentions.