Hibs are punished as Rovers steal win
HIBERNIAN, who had been unbeaten in 15 games prior to last weekend, have now lost twice in succession and remain ahead of third-placed Rangers, who have a game in hand, by just two goals.
Yet this should have been a comfortable victory and manager Alan Stubbs was left scratching his head as to how his side left Stark’s Park empty handed.
‘It felt like a smash-andgrab,’ he claimed. ‘It’s a difficult one to explain, to be honest. When you’re talking to the players afterwards and you can see the effort they put in, the way they’ve tried to play and the chances we’ve created, then you can’t criticise them.
‘The only thing I can say is that, from the positions we got into, then a) we’ve got to pick the right pass, and b) our movement has got to be better.
‘But we moved the ball round on a really difficult surface and there’s no way I’m going to slate them because their effort was great.’
Mark Stewart volleyed home from a Jason Thomson cross to put Rovers ahead against the run of play, although Fraser Fyvie levelled just four minutes later when he drove home after a Scott Allan shot had ricocheted into his path.
Yet, after David Gray had failed to score when Allan’s through ball had left him with only home keeper David McGurn to beat, former Hearts striker Christian Nade came off the bench to set up Rovers’ winner, Lewis Vaughan firing home after Mark Oxley could only parry Ryan Conroy’s shot.
‘I wish I could play Hibs every week,’ said Nade. ‘Over the years, I have a good record against them and I hope it will stay that way. ‘Today was a really good game and our defenders were really strong for the whole match.
‘We went in front when we had the chance to score and I was just looking for the gaffer to put me on.
‘I told the guys: ‘‘Even if you only put me on for five minutes, I will score or give you an assist’’.
‘I think Hearts fans love me more now than when I played there. I just love to annoy Hibs and if I could do it every weekend, I would.’