Saints add clouds to dull Sunshine on Leith
HIBS 2 Mcginn (57), Boyle (61, pen) ST MIRREN 2 Brophy (42), Shaugnessy (88)
There was bright September sunshine on Leith yesterday and a belter of a game at Easter Road to go with it.
Trailing to an Eamonn Brophy goal at half-time, Jack Ross’s side looked to have won this with a stirring comeback after the break.
However, when Josh Doig lost Joe Shaughnessy as he ghosted into the box at the death, their hopes of going clear as Premiership leaders were sunk for another week.
“It’s a strange afternoon because we’ve remained undefeated and go back to the top of the table,” said manager Jack Ross.
“We are frustrated at the outcome and aspects of the performance.”
Ross’s side made the livelier start of the sides with two of their Scotland internationalists catching the eye.
Paul Mcginn looked super confident when pushing forward to support the Hibs attack and Kevin Nisbet likewise when dribbling past a
succession of defenders before having his shot blocked.
There has been excitement about St Mirren’s recruitment of Wolves Irish midfielder Connor Ronan on a season’s loan. Here the 23-year-old quickly showed there is still work to be done in terms of developing an understanding with his team-mates.
Alan Power may be from the same neck of the woods but he was close to exploding when Ronan tackled him with no Hibs players in the vicinity.
The new recruit settled, though, and showed good skills to find Brophy with a clever through ball at the opening goal of the game.
Some 16 yards out, the striker had a fair bit to do but got enough behind his effort to beat Matt Macey at his near post.
It changed the whole dynamic of the match and it was no surprise to see Jack Ross make a change at the interval.
Off went Chris Cadden and on came Scott Allan, a man who Ross had offered to Saints in part exchange for Jamie Mcgrath.
That deal did not go through and here Allan made a huge impact with flighted chip over the St Mirren defence for Mcginn who volleyed home a terrific equaliser.
“My opinion of Scott hasn’t changed. He wasn’t someone we were pushing to get out
the door,” said Ross. “There was a potential opportunity for him and he wants to play, understandably.
“We’ve been doing well as a team but he had a chance to affect the game today and he did it. There aren’t many players in the league who can marry that vision with such a high level of execution.
“His health doesn’t come into it now. Once he worked through that and we were given reassurances that he was OK, it’s purely based on how he plays.”
If Allan’s introduction had looked a good substitution at the first goal, it looked positively inspired four minutes later when the Edinburgh side grabbed a second.
Referee Kevin Clancy warned Matt Millar against wrestling with Ryan Porteous as the Hibs defender waited to attack a Kyle Magennis corner.
When Porteous tumbled a few seconds later, the official had no hesitation in pointing straight to the spot.
Martin Boyle stepped up to take the kick and converted in style for his ninth goal in a dozen games for club and country.
It looked like that would be it for the scoring but Shaughnessy had other ideas, ghosting in behind Doig to stick Scott Tanser’s cross into the net at the back post for 2-2.