My phone will be on silent if anyone wants to sign Benji
Mellon hails hero keeper as United pinch point at death
Micky Mellon joked he’ll be turning off his phone in January after Benji Siegrist produced more heroics to help United nick a point.
Luke Bolton swept home his first Tangerines goal in injury time to salvage a draw.
But the United keeper was the real hero with a sensational show in a game Hibs could have had wrapped up by half-time.
Siegrist made four brilliant saves in the first half before more heroics after the interval helped deny Hibs a move back into second.
Kyle Magennis had looked to have backed up his bullish pre- match title claim by sweeping home his first goal for Hibs after 13 minutes.
But Bolton hit back in the final seconds after Siegrist’s heroics kept United in it.
Mellon said: “If you’re going to come to places like Hibs and get something you have to have a good keeper – and we have one.
“We know we can rely on him to keep us in games and help get results.
“From a manager’s point of view I want him working less and know we have to work on things defensively. But to know you have a guy there who is able to make saves like he made today is terrific.
“What do I expect next month? We will turn the phones off and pretend we don’t have mobiles!”
Siegr ist took just two minutes to serve notice of is intentions as he pulled off a stunning one- handed save from Christian Doidge’s header and followed up by sweeping the bal l away f rom the onrushing Hibs strikers.
But the keeper was beaten in the 13th minute. Magennis had far too much space on the left for an inswinging cross that
Doidge appeared to glance home but replays showed went straight in at the back post.
United looked to hit back immediately and Lawrence Shank land forced Of i r Marciano into a block from a tight angle.
Siegrist then somehow got a foot to a low cross that spun towards the bottom corner off Mark Reynolds’ boot.
Moments later he threw up an instinctive right hand to deny Doidge from point-blank range.
Marc McNulty served a reminder to Hibs as he flashed a 25-yard shot just past.
But it was Siegrist who again kept the score 1-0 at the interval when he spread himself to block Martin Boyle’s effort after a brilliant Paul McGinn lay-off.
The introduction of Paul McMullan for Nicky Clark 10 minutes after the break gave United an injection and he fed McNulty whose angled shot was pushed over by Marciano.
From the corner McNulty’s back-post header appeared to strike Paul McGinn’s elbow on the way out with ref Gavin Duncan awarding a corner.
Hibs blew a chance to double their lead after 72 minutes when Boyle’s cutback found Kevin Nisbet unmarked 18 yards out but the 11- goal ace was uncharacteristically wide with his effort.
It meant a nervousness crept into the home side’s play in the final 10 minutes.
Doidge was next to be wasteful as he saw Siegrist deflect his shot from 10 yards wide after he raced through one-on-one with the keeper.
United threw caution to the wind chasing down a late leveller. And they came up trumps with a 90th-minute leveller. Sub Bolton fired home at the back post after McNulty’s cross deflected into his path.
United stay sixth and Mellon said: “We played with the handbrake on in the first half but we made the change, changed the shape to get pace in wide areas and get McNulty nearer to Shankland.
“I was just pleased we managed to get the equaliser and the point.”