Hapless Hibs blow a massive chance for top-half boost
AFTER a lot of huffing and puffing, Hibernian’s top-six hopes haven’t quite blown away. But having been flattened by struggling St Johnstone amid blustery conditions yesterday, there was a lot here to suggest they deserve a spot in the lower half of the Premiership.
The boos at full-time told the story as manager Nick Montgomery and his players trudged off at Easter Road.
Adama Sidibeh’s opener for St Johnstone four minutes into the second half was cancelled out by Chris Cadden’s strike. But, just as the Leith men sensed the momentum, Tony Gallacher popped up with nine minutes remaining to win the game for Saints, who are four points above second-bottom Ross County.
Dundee’s incredible late collapse against Motherwell means Hibs are only a point behind the Dark Blues, who have a game in hand against Rangers on Wednesday.
Montgomery’s men travel to Fir Park next Saturday in their final match before the split but he knows his team blew a huge chance to make life easier for themselves.
‘It was a game we knew we needed to win,’ said the Hibs boss (right). ‘We expected three points and everybody expected three points but football is a cruel game. We had 72-per-cent possession and we lose to a team that had two shots on target.
‘We have to accept that’s not good enough, two lapses of concentration in a game where you need maximum concentration. We had enough chances to win the game.
‘I’m frustrated, the players are frustrated — without doubt it’s a game we should have won. We have to be better in both penalty boxes and that’s what let us down today.
‘We have to be positive and we have to believe that results go our way. All we can do is go to Motherwell next weekend knowing that we have to win the game to give ourselves a chance of still making the top six.
‘Until that’s mathematically impossible, we have to believe. We’ve been on a good run. We lost at Rangers last week and I’m really disappointed to lose that one today because we needed to win. We could have put big pressure on the teams above us but it’s out of our hands now.’
Hibs fans were screaming for a penalty inside 10 minutes when Myziane Maolida’s shot took a deflection and looped into the air. Saints goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov punched the ball clear in the box but also clattered into Emiliano Marcondes. However, referee Grant Irvine waved play on.
St Johnstone looked to punish Hibs on the break and midway through the first half Sidibeh — scorer of a brilliant acrobatic effort in last week’s home defeat to Dundee — threatened, but his shot deflected behind for a corner and the hosts survived.
Hibs appealed for another spot-kick nine minutes before the break when Marcondes’ through ball found Adam Le Fondre, who tumbled in the box under pressure from Saints defender Ryan McGowan but their claims were ignored again.
The away fans were soon in good voice when their team grabbed the lead four minutes after the restart. Matt Smith’s ball over the top sent Sidibeh racing clear down the right and into the box. He kept calm to slot past Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall, with a VAR check for offside eventually confirming the goal.
However, the hosts were only behind for seven minutes thanks to Cadden’s equaliser. Maolida’s shot was partially cleared by Mitov and the right-back then had time to fire home the loose ball.
The Bulgarian keeper kept the score level with a brilliant close-range save midway through the second half. Jordan Obita’s cross from the left was met by Le Fondre, whose clever flick prompted Mitov to tip the ball over the bar.
Maolida was denied by Mitov again with time running out as he met a cross from the right.
And Hibs were made to pay for those misses nine minutes from the end when Gallacher met Graham Carey’s corner and volleyed past Marshall from close range.
Craig Levein was delighted to see Mitov make some crucial saves after his error led to Dundee’s opening goal last week.
‘After the game, I told him he more than made up for last week,’ said the Saints boss. ‘And we needed him at crucial moments in the match because Hibs are a very attack-minded team.
‘We missed Liam Gordon due to a little niggle in his groin. But I thought Andy (Considine), Gowser (Ryan McGowan) and Luke (Robinson) were fabulous.
‘Hibs are a hard team to stop, but we managed to do that and that was the foundation for the performance.’