December 16th 2000
Scottish Premier League
Attendance: 10,374
Scorers:
Hibernian: Lovell, Paatelainen.
This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday December 17th 2000
Hibs don’t surprise any more, and the green-and-white jersey could almost be considered a kitemark of good quality football. But, by gosh, these factors do not make a measured performance of the type served up by Alex McLeish’s men yesterday any less impressive.
The Easter Road men exhibited such assurance in overcoming St Johnstone with a mixture of graft and panache that it is difficult to ascertain exactly what happened to induce last month’s form slump that, it was confidently predicted, would quickly have them trailing the Old Firm in the Premier League. Perhaps it was simply that their biorhythms were low.
Once more they seem to be peaking, with a classy solo effort from Stuart Lovell and a late strike from Mixu Paatelainen again puttingsix points between themselves and third-placed Rangers.
"We are a decent side," Hibs manager Alex McLeish admitted with understated pride after watching the win over St Johnstone. "I thought we gave a really good, disciplined performance and were mentally strong today."
In an afternoon that was to belong to Hibs, it was St Johnstone who seized the initiative early on, although demonstrating little in the way of adventure to compliment their early territorial advantage. A willingness to take risks going forward appears to have been sacrificed as this season has unfolded.
Understandably, in view of his side’s unpredictable and soft-centred nature in the opening months of the campaign, their manager, Sandy Clark, has reverted back to tried-and-trusted methods. The value of going back to basics was reflected in the Perth men having produced a five-game league unbeaten run ahead of yesterday’s confrontation. This is on the credit side. As far as debits, St Johnstone are once more hardly stirring the blood despite Clark’s stated intention close season to field two wingers.
He acquired Peter Lovenkrands and Paul Hartley to fulfil these very roles, but both have tended to reside in the first-team twilight zone, though Hartley made it into the fray early in the second half at Easter Road as a replacement for left wing-back Marc McCulloch. It was basically a five-man defence in which Darren Dods operated on the opposite flank. Such a system tells of a change of priorities.
Hibs, in contrast, have not required to moderate their approach and they gradually found a way in to yesterday’s encounter by sticking true to what has led to them mounting a genuine title challenge.
Even if it all goes belly-up from this point, in years to come grizzled old Hibees will rhapsodise about the Alex McLeish team who possessed rare talent, could take a few bodies and were often rewarded simply for their perseverance.
The third element of that potent mix allowed them to hang on to St Johnstone’s coat-tails for the first 20 minutes - though thankfully not literally, or else referee Stuart Dougal might have sent for the riot police to quell the disorder. Without wishing to be unkind to an official who is sufficiently highly rated by FIFA to feature on their elite list, Dougal appears to be a man who might have a job differentiating between a mountain and a molehill.
The fact that he is now famed for - legitimately - sending off Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davids in a Juventus Champions League match earlier this season, a disallowed Celtic goal at Easter Road and the recent debatable dismissals administered to Claudio Reyna and Arthur Numan at Tynecastle, could suggest he enjoys making media capital.
During a lull in yesterday’s contest Dougal seemed determined to claim centre stage, booking Mathias Jack and Paddy Connelly for not very much and awarding St Johnstone a throw-in his assistant, Graeme Curr, had flagged to be given to the home side.
This left McLeish apoplectic, but Dougal rather childishly attempted to show him who was boss by pointing to the referee’s crest on his yellow uniform.
It looked like Dougal would be pointing to the centre-circle to signal a goal on the half-hour mark when Russell Latapy and David Zitelli combined delightfully to carve a way through the visitor’s backline before the Trinidadian stabbed a shot towards goal that Alan Main turned round his post.
The influence of Latapy and Franck Sauzee extends further than their ability to produce exhibition football. There is a swagger to the way in which they go about their tasks that gives the lead to their team-mates. Hibs are infused with self-belief, and Stuart Lovell’s opener in the 39th minute was a goal from a side and a player who know they are on the money.
The wing-back picked up possession on the cusp of the penalty area and slalomed past Gary Bollan before caressing the ball with his left foot. He curled it high past the right hand of Main, the flight and dip of his shot making it look as if he were using a remote control to put the ball precisely where he wanted it.
Clark’s men rallied immediately after the interval, but after Nick Colgan tipped over a Paddy Connelly effort in the 62nd minute Hibs began to pass their way back into a commanding position and added a clinching second strike in the 73rd minute that allowed Mixu Paatelainen to take his goal tally for the season to double figures.
Sauzee was the architect with a vicious free-kick that the Finn bounded in to head over the line.
The visitors’ resistance was thus ended, and Zitelli and Latapy had gilt-edged opportunities to twist the knife against a team who Clark was correct to state hadn’t by any means played badly.
"You have to score goals to win games, and though we had lots of little bits in and around the area we didn’t make enough chances," the St Johnstone manager remarked afterwards. "Hibs deserve credit for that, for the way they defended."
Hibs and plaudits are rightly becoming synonymous.
The Teams:
Hibernian: Colgan, G Smith, Fenwick, Laursen, Sauzee, Jack, Lovell, J O’Neil, Latapy, Zitelli, Paatelainen.
St Johnstone: Main, Dods, Bollan, Weir, McCluskey, Dasovic, Kane, McBride, McCulloch, Connolly, Parker.
St Johnstone started this match a lot brighter than Hibs, and in Keigan Parker they have a real find. He had the measure of Fenwick from the first whistle and if it wasn't for Frank Sauzee sweeping up behind he could have destroyed Hibs this afternoon.
However, after fifteen or twenty minutes Hibs began to take control of the match without creating too many clear cut opportunities. In fact the ball seemed to be permanatley stuck between both penalty areas.
The breakthrough when it did come was breathtaking. Stuart Lovell twisted on the corner of the box before driving into the top corner - surely a contender for goal of the season (what about it Gordon Smith).
After half time Hibs came out looking for the second that would kill the game off and they eventually got it through big Mixu. Frank Sauzee fired in a free kick from the left and Mixu bulleted in a header for his tenth goal of the season.
The game was now over as a contest and Hibs could afford to 'showboat' for a while, with Russell Latapy in particularly fine form, twisting and turning the Saint's defence all over the place. He even had time to waltz into the box and then back out again when it seemed easier to score.
Next week will see a real test for Hibs as they go to Ibrox - three points will do nicely thanks.
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