ROSS INA RAGE AT UNITED’S LATE RAID
Bolton nicks point in injury time as the frustrated Hibs boss laments goalkeeping masterclass from Siegrist
LUKE BOLTON pounced in time added-on to snatch an ill-deserved point and pull off a real heist for Dundee United at Easter Road. If anyone should have been escaping into the night with a mask and swag bag after this spot of daylight robbery, though, it was goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist.
True, the big Swiss didn’t look too clever at the Kyle Magennis goal that had given the home side a first-half lead. He prevented this from being a cricket score, but didn’t plan for the former St Mirren man bowling him a googly.
However, he more than made up for allowing Magennis’ inswinging cross from the right to sail into his net on 13 minutes by pulling off at least half-adozen excellent saves to keep the visitors in with some kind of fighting chance before Bolton popped up most unexpectedly with the leveller when the game looked done and dusted.
United, of course, continue to sit pretty in the top half of the table. The form of Siegrist has much to do with that and will surely see him attract interest when the transfer window opens at the start of next month.
Heaven knows where boss Micky Mellon’s side would be without him. On the basis of this performance, given the chances conceded and the general lack of solidity, somewhat further down the table.
‘It’s probably the angriest I have been with the players this season in terms of making sure they get what they deserve from football matches — because they deserved to win that,’ groaned Hibs manager Jack Ross.
‘At half-time, I don’t think I can be critical of the finishing because Siegrist’s saves were outstanding. In the second half, it flips a bit.
‘I don’t think he makes brilliant saves. I think we miss opportunities. It’s not like us because, generally, we are ruthless.
‘I’ve got a brilliant group. We’ve got such high standards, but to push towards where we want to get to, we’ve got to be ruthless all the time.’
Hibs were on the front foot from the first whistle with Siegrist being called into action just two minutes in when reacting instinctively after Christian Doidge had got his head to a Melker Hallberg corner from point-blank range.
However, the keeper couldn’t prevent the opener coming on 13 minutes. In truth, he has to take a touch of the blame for that one.
Magennis saw Doidge moving clear of a static United backline and delivered a testing cross from the left that was just begging to be met by the big Welshman’s head.
The thing is, it looked for all the world as though he failed to make contact. What other reason can there be for Siegrist appearing caught in two minds, anticipating the header, and being left flat-footed as the ball duly bounced into the net?
If he was at fault for allowing Hibs to nudge ahead, though, the Swiss deserves credit for preventing this from turning into a rout.
Fresh from seeing Ofir Marciano deny Lawrence Shankland at the other end, Siegrist produced a spectacular double save midway through the opening period. First, he stuck out his leg when off-balance to block a Martin Boyle effort that had deflected off Mark Reynolds.
No sooner had he regained his equilibrium than Doidge was putting in another close-range effort from the rebound. Again, though, Siegrist was up to the job.
Marc McNulty flashed an effort from distance wide for United nine minutes before the break, but the real chances were all at the other end.
Paul McGinn chested the ball into Boyle’s path from a long crossfield ball and was he was left to scarper clean through on goal from the right. Siegrist came off his line, though, and got in the way of the winger’s shot.
McNulty did force a save from Marciano just before the hour when moving onto an excellent diagonal ball from substitute Paul McMullan. He also had a penalty claim turned down by referee Gavin Duncan from the resultant corner when insisting Paul McGinn had used a hand to block his header.
Siegrist was back as the centre of attention shortly afterwards, though. He saved again from Doidge as the centre-forward held off his man and released a shot — with Reynolds putting the ball behind for a corner after it had spun into the air — and breathed a sigh of relief with 18 minutes when Kevin Nisbet fired wide from an unmarked position after being teed-up by Boyle.
No wonder the keeper still got most of the hugs and acclaim after Bolton, thrown on for Ryan Edwards early in the second 45, had snatched that dramatic leveller.
McNulty put a low ball over from the right, it took a touch off Joe Newell and made its way to Bolton at the back post, who could barely believe his luck.
‘I thought we played with the handbrake on in the first half,’ reflected United boss Mellon. ‘We were not as aggressive as we wanted. It was a bit of shadowboxing.
‘But we made the change, changed the shape to get pace i n wide areas and get McNulty nearer to Shankland.
‘If I’m honest, I think Hibs went for the line too fast and let us get into the game.
‘If you are going to come to places like Hibs and get something, you have to have a good goalkeeper — and we have one.
‘Those were great saves, some pure reaction ones, and he’s worked hard on that.’
Yet, how on earth will Mellon and his board be able to resist offers for Siegrist in this kind of form?
‘We will turn the phone off and pretend we don’t have mobiles anymore,’ he quipped.
Good luck with that.