HAPLESS HIBS ARE HUMBLED
Fans call for Heckingbottom to go following Fir Park collapse
THE Hibernian supporters and their star player would need to grow accustomed to unpopular decisions, Paul Heckingbottom warned in the wake of last week’s spat over a Scott Allan substitution.
Quite how Heckingbottom reacts to becoming an unpopular manager may well now dictate the direction of a season which promised plenty but has taken an alarmingly early wrong turn.
Of course, it is only game four of a Premiership campaign from which a European place was deemed the very least of Hibernian ambition.
But the manner in which the home side imposed their will on this clash reflects poorly on what the Hibs boss has styled this summer.
And a small pocket of the 1,660 travelling supporters passed a verdict by chanting for the head coach to go as Motherwell grabbed the late goals their performance merited.
Heckingbottom rubbed many Hibs fans up the wrong way when identifying that their anxieties and upset at Allan being withdrawn was a contributory factor to St Johnstone stealing a late point.
Yesterday, he and his players only had themselves to blame. There weren’t many away supporters left to spread their brand of panic to a defeated group at Fir Park.
When Jermaine Hylton cracked home the third, it was the cue for an exodus to Edinburgh.
Heckingbottom had called for his men to be tougher. Instead, they wilted. The writing was on the wall when surviving a scare as Vykintas Slivka was weak with a header to gift the home side a chance which Chris Long failed to bury.
Make no mistake, the margin of victory could have been much more damaging. Long spurned another fine opening and the pick of Ofir Marciano’s saves was a superb leap left to get low and touch away a Declan Gallagher header.
Hibs did creep into the contest in a 20-minute rally in the second half, Adam Jackson and Scott Allan both going close.
Heckingbottom felt the equaliser was coming but he was mistaken.
That spell apart, his players were tormented in individual battles. And by the time the fresh legs of Devante Cole and Hylton were introduced, they could handle no more.
This against an attacking provision Stephen Robinson describes as operating only at 60 per cent of their capacity and fitness — quite the warning to other clubs with top-six designs.
One young talent in that category, Sherwin Seedorf, went as far to suggest ‘Motherwell should be targeting top three, top five’.
He’s a man in a hurry, as shown by the way he took on Steven Whittaker, with David Gray out for three months.
Motherwell liked what they saw from the pace mis-match.
Seedorf served warning of his intention to worry Whittaker but fired wastefully over.
The Dutchman could and should have gone down under the challenge, electing to stay on his feet to fashion the errant effort.
Honesty was rewarded on 23 minutes. Again down the left, Seedorf was picked out.
Shifting inside with a great collect and control to leave Whittaker trailing before whipping a fierce low shot into the far corner, the wide man’s first league goal was a beauty.
Outstanding on the opposite side against Lewis Stevenson, James Scott should have doubled the lead before the break. When teed up by Seedorf’s confident swagger, the teenager fired over.
Midway through the second half Seedorf’s replacement Hylton had no wish to give Whittaker respite. The substitute was furious when a shirt-tugging contest resulted in him being penalised instead of a spot-kick awarded.
When Jackson charged down a Gallagher header with both hands, Steven McLean did make the award. Liam Donnelly sent Marciano the wrong way to net his third penalty of the season and eighth goal in as many games.
Extreme views from opposite camps. From the comical announcement that Donnelly was probably the world’s top scorer from the Motherwell tannoy to the chants against Heckingbottom.
On the park, Robinson’s men kept their focus. Even a firm hand from Marciano couldn’t stop Hylton firing home a third.
‘It was a really dominant performance,’ praised Robinson.
‘We were dynamic in areas of the park we needed to be and you can see the talent we have in the forward areas.
‘The international break will give us a chance to get the boys that bit sharper. If can do that over the next couple of weeks, we’ll have an exciting team on our hands again.’
While Robinson is happy with what he has in reserve, Heckingbottom admitted he needs help to bolster his ranks and conceded that changes must be instigated.
‘We worked hard but were too easy to play against,’ he complained.
‘Most of the players were here last year when we weren’t getting beaten. So some are underperforming.
‘It will improve, without a doubt. That will be reflected in the teams we pick and in the business we do in the next windows.
‘We’re short in key positions, stretched in full-back areas and I know for a fact Motherwell will have tried to exploit that.’ MOTHERWELL: (4-3-3) Gillespie; Grimshaw, Gallagher, Hartley, Carroll; Donnelly, Campbell, Polworth; Seedorf (Hylton 66), Scott (Maguire 88), Long (Cole 66). Subs not used: Carson, Tait, Ilic, Dunne. Booked: Long, Donnelly, Gallagher. HIBERNIAN: (4-2-3-1) Marciano; Whittaker, Jackson, Hanlon, Stevenson; Slivka, Mallan; Horgan, Allan, Middleton (Shaw 63); Kamberi. Subs not used: Maxwell, Doidge, Newell, Hallberg, Porteous, Vela. Booked: Allan, Mallan. Referee: Steven McLean. Attendance: 5,964.