MALLAN SPOT-ON FOR HIBS
Late penalty joy for joint leaders but defeat is sickener for Saints
FOLLOWING the appeal made by Jack Ross for more positive opinions on Scottish football, it’s only fair to point out that this compelling affair contained far more drama than the slender scoreline might suggest.
No one will be particularly surprised that much of it centred on the match officials. Denied a first-half lead when Callum Hendry’s header was wrongly ruled out for offside, St Johnstone were left without even point after conceding a stoppage-time penalty.
Thumped home by substitute Stevie Mallan on his first appearance for eight months, it lifted Hibs back level on points with Rangers at the top of the Premiership. Four wins and a draw is also the best five-game start the Easter Road club have made to a campaign since 1974-75. How cruel it was for Saints, though. The better team for stretches of the second half, they ended an emotion-twisting evening with 10 men after Liam Craig was shown a second yellow card for berating referee John Beaton.
Craig’s outburst of frustration was understandable — if not sensible or acceptable — given the earlier error that struck off Hendry’s header. There were also fierce complaints from the home side over the penalty award, but Liam Gordon clearly had hands on Ryan Porteous as he bundled him to the ground. Walking briskly onto the pitch at the final whistle, Perth boss Callum Davidson made his point to Beaton in a calmer manner than Craig.
It was a second single-goal defeat in succession for Saints — who stay eighth with four points — but this felt harsher than last Thursday’s Aberdeen reverse given the standard of their showing after the break.
Ross won’t care about that. A smash-and-grab success — achieved without the injured Kevin Nisbet — maintained the feelgood factor in Leith. It also extended a superb record at McDiarmid Park, where Hibs are now unbeaten in their last six visits. The return of Mallan after a lengthy battle to overcome a knee problem was an obvious and significant bonus.
The Easter Road outfit had the better of the overall play in an opening period that ended with a blank scoresheet despite the ball being in the net three times. The two disallowed goals for Hibs were pretty obvious calls. The one for Saints much less so.
Early intent was certainly with the visitors. Nisbet’s absence had forced a reshuffle — with Scott Allan reintroduced to the starting line-up — but the loss of their top scorer didn’t lead to an immediate loss of threat.
They could have been ahead inside two minutes. A smart pass from Christian Doidge set up Martin Boyle for a shot. Drilled in low from the fringe of the area, it was repelled when Elliot Parish reached out a strong left hand.
The resulting corner brought claims for a penalty when another Boyle strike appeared to hit Hendry on the elbow at point-blank range. Beaton wasn’t interested.
When Hibs could get Boyle involved, something tended to happen. A long ball from Alex Gogic was headed down by Doidge and met by the winger’s left-footed effort. A slight slice took it high and wide of target.
Then Boyle had the first of the disallowed goals. Pressing hard on the accelerator, his closing down of Parish led to the goalkeeper’s clearance being partially blocked. The ball spun high in the air but Daryl Horgan couldn’t quite connect properly to take advantage. Boyle was clearly offside as he sought to complete the job by tapping over the line.
The flag that denied St Johnstone on the half-hour mark was far more controversial. An error from assistant referee Graham Chambers prevented the hosts from claiming a lead that would have been somewhat against the run of play.
Out on the right flank, Craig Conway — replacing David Wotherspoon in the one Saints’ change from the Aberdeen loss — cut onto his left foot before dinking a cross into the centre of the area.
Hendry was unmarked as he nodded past the exposed Ofir Marciano but his celebrations were instantly curtailed by the offside call. It looked questionable. Replays duly proved that Hendry had been behind Horgan when the ball was delivered.
Three minutes later, it was again the turn of Hibs to pose a question. Doidge met Allan’s delivery with a firm header matched by another fine save from Parish. The striker bundled in the rebound while lying prone on the turf but was judged to have used a hand somewhere in the process.
You wondered if St Johnstone’s players spent the interval viewing footage of the injustice they suffered. Whatever the motivation, they attacked the second period with a new intensity.
Jason Kerr combined with Danny McNamara on a rampaging advance from centre-back before sliding over a low cross that was begging for the merest touch inside the six-yard box.
Davidson’s side maintained the pressure, though. The ball was worked back to McNamara for a rasping drive tipped over the top by Marciano.
Boyle had to be denied by a terrific Kerr block at the opposite end but most of the danger was being summoned by those in blue.
Ross needed more. Replacing the underwhelming Horgan with Drey Wright was his first move just after the hour. Mallan was then summoned to take over creative duties from Allan.
Davidson responded with changes of his own, leaving only the raw pace of Michael O’Halloran from the initial front three. Hendry made way for Stevie May, with Wotherspoon replacing Conway.
The rejigs didn’t break the spell of dominance. Looking the more composed team, a Craig thump narrowly off target added to their list of collection of near-things.
Saints, though, couldn’t capitalise fully. And they were hit by the most brutal of sucker punches.
The prelude came with a Gogic header that bounced against Parish’s right-hand post. Hibs kept the threat alive and Beaton pointed to the spot when Gordon clumsily challenged Porteous. Mallan did the rest with an emphatic conversion.
ST JOHNSTONE (5-2-3): Parish 7; McNamara 7, Kerr 7, Gordon 6, McCart 6, Tanser 6; McCann 6, Craig 6; O’Halloran 7 (Robertson 87), Hendry 7 (May 64), Conway 6 (Wotherspoon 64). Subs not used: Sinclair, Duffy, Booth, Rooney, Olaofe, Ballantyne. Booked: McNamara, Hendry, Craig. Sent off: Craig. HIBERNIAN (4-1-4-1): Marciano 7; McGinn 6, Porteous 6, Hanlon 6, Doig 6 (Gullan 74); Gogic 7; Boyle 7, Allan 6 (Mallan 66), Newell 6 (Hallberg 74), Horgan 5 (Wright 61); Doidge 6. Subs not used: Dabrowski, Gray, McGregor, Stevenson, Stirling, Murray. Booked: Allan. Man of the match: Jason Kerr. Referee: John Beaton.