Just back and that was nice, we beat them whilst not really playing well. That is very, very satisfying.
I thought the Huns really gave us a game today and we were not at the races for large parts of the game.
We play great football in wee tasty bits and pieces every week, today was no exception, but we didnae kick on and yet it was enough to beat the Huns and the cheat of a referee.
I felt we started wel enough and reckon if Dylan had tweaked his groin after eight minutes when he mis-hit the ball, we would have played Sevco off the pitch. The changed slowed us down a lot and allowed them into it.
In Darren McGregor we have signed a good, hard, nae nonsense Hibs supporting defender, I thought he, along with Paul Hanlon played very well today at the back, as did Lewis. Gray has had better games but it cannae be easy against Wallace. In midfield John McGinn was magnificent, what a graceful, intelligent, hard tackling, clever, passionate football player. In Jason, we have a laddie who can score, he kens how to miss tae, but he can score.
We, again scored a couple of good goals, when Jase has nae time to think he can fair rattle a ball, a cracking ping. I moan about Liam Fontaine and Paul Hanlon’s poor technique when headering balls goal bound, today Paul got it just right, using his physique to head the ball home. We lost what looked like an unfortunate goal, Mark Oxley had a couple of fine saves and the woodwork saved us to. Luck, nah, we deserved the rub of the green.
I felt we let the game dip after we scored our first, waited too long for Keatings and should have killed them off when Jase was through on the keeper, but you know what, we beat them, we burst their bubble, we shut their bigoted scumbag fans up, we won and we are right up their holes now, and they know it. We are coming to get you.
The players
Oxley had a fine game today, a good first half save and commanded his box well. From my seat in the west, it seemed he had no chance at the goal after a wicked deflection.
David Gray was not as good as he has been recently, that is a hard shift against the decent rifleman Wallace.
Darren McGregor was magnificent today, he had something to prove to that balding self righteous prick, Hovisheed, and he did just that. I think it may have deflected off him for their goal, but he was very good, a hard, nae nonsense Hibs supporting defender. I like that.
Paul Hanlon got better and better as the game went on, he has improved significantly over the past couple of years. He took his goal very well and was solid in the challenge. Paul is a right good player, especially against the Huns.
Stevenson was good today, he and McGinn linked very well. Tavernier, who is a good player, found Lewis a tough nut to crack today. Well played Lewis.
Fraser Fyvie had a surprisingly poor game for me, he was at fault for their goal, hogging the ball and drawing Lewis out of position. He did improve last 15 – 20 when Big Marv found his feet but he has to do better.
John McGinn was and is a joy to watch, from wonderful 30 yard passes, neat footwork, clever flicks, shots at goal, crisp passes, crunching tackles and fantastic desire to win, this boy will go far, enjoy him whilst he wears our shirt people, he is destined from great things. Wonderful.
Liam Henderson drifted in and out the game, I am afraid its something I say too often. He is clearly a good player but he is, for me, a little bit lazy, something we cannot afford in this cut throat league.
McGeogh twisted his groin right in front of me miskicking the ball early in the game, he seemed miffed to go off as he was trying to run it off. Replaced by ig Marv after around 20 minutes.
Jason played well again, he lead the line well, his goal was well taken his one on one with their keeper, not so. He is bringing more and more to his game and is a crucial player for us as he does the one thing that matters for a striker he scores goals.
Malonga – He started well but quickly dropped out the game. His body language is awful, his decision making worse. An enigma.
Subs
Bartley for McGeogh worked in the end, Big Marv is strong willed hard tackling player but thinks he has more time than he does and slows the play down too much for me. BUT, he was fantastic for that last 20 minutes today, sat deep and stopped the merchant bankers Sevco.
Keatings came on for Henderson and as James Keatings generally does, cause trouble for the Rangers International defenders. I like James, he has endeavour and ability.
Feruz came on for Dominic Malonga near the end, no real time to make a difference but did make a nuisance of himself.
Alan and his backroom team seemed to get it right today, it wasn’t pretty, we didn’t play much of the lovely football we can and do play (excluding the magical John McGinn). I get a little frustrated at the slowness of the substitutions and the notepad talks before changes. But we won, we are breathing right down their necks, and we will catch and overtake them as we improve and they crumble.
The referee today was a cheat, no two ways about it, he gave decisions that had us baying for blood. How the Huns had 11 men on the pitch at the end of the game, only he and his pals in lodge will ken. For that baldy fanny Kingsmill to moan about protecting ball players, then have his players hack down McGinn without words or caution says it all. Dreadful refereeing abut as we all know, Hibernian have to not only beat Sevco to win this league, we have to beat that bitter, ugly little slice of our society that still live in the 17th century and will do everything in their power to ensure that this loss making business without a credit line from the bank (copyright Phil Mac Giolla Bháin) get promoted for the first time in their history. Our job is to stop them, and I think we will.
On the football front the Hun No 2 Tavernier is far too good for them, Wigan need to recall him and sell him to a bigger, less bitter club than Sevco. Wallace too, daft jambo fud that he is. The rest of them are no better than Hibs, or indeed Falkirk, Raith or Alloa.
My man of the match changed, it had been tight between the excellent Darren McGregor and the equally good McGinn, but for the last 30 minutes John McGinn stepped up a gear and was a joy to behold. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Thanks to my stand ins Leitchy and SKII, much appreciated reading your reports as I fretted over documents in Spain.
I would like to finish this post by saying that this week we lost a great Hibs man and an absolute gentleman.
That result was for you Billy Dudgeon.
RIP
Glory, Glory.