Stirling Albion 2 Hibernian 3

February 17th 2001
Scottish Cup
Attendance: .

Scorers:
Hibernian: Sauzee, O'Neil, McManus.
Stirling Albion: Templeman, Graham.

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday 18th February 2001

Relief for Hibs

The well-worn cliché that the Cup is a great leveller may have run its course in recent years, but for Stirling Albion yesterday, it was a creed which they embraced with immense gusto. Ahead within four minutes, down to ten men inside ten, the Forthbank outfit performed a full two divisions above their lowly station before finally succumbing in thick fog to Hibernian’s superior guile at the finish.

Rough justice maybe, but Albion manager Ray Stewart could feel his team were unfortunate not to have grabbed a replay at Easter Road as their reward for nullifying such in-form opponents.

Perhaps it may have been the unfamiliar terrain, but there was little the higher-ranked side could have done to prevent Stirling’s stunning opener. Picking up the ball five metres outside the penalty area, Chris Templeman lashed it goalwards and looked up to see it sailing into the top corner. Nick Colgan may well have been arguing that he didn’t catch the flight through the fog.

Jarred possibly by the memory of their shock defeat by the same opposition two years ago, Hibs immediately set about imposing their class upon the second division strugglers. Mixu Paatelainen - along with Russell Latapy one of only two survivors present from that previous encounter - began the fightback with a close-range header which was held by Chris Reid.

This was a mere appetiser for what was to come, however, as the visitors unleashed an onslaught and, in the tenth minute, the natural order had been restored as Alex McLeish’s men levelled. Caught in possession by David Zitelli, Stirling defender Kevin Gaughan raced back to rectify his error but instead compounded it by chopping down Latapy as he bore down on goal. One red card duly produced, it was left to Franck Sauzee to take the free-kick from just outside the area, the Frenchman despatching a curling drive which eluded the wall and flew past Reid.

That should have allowed the tide to crash in and drown the hosts in its wake and, for long periods, that proved the case. Applying constant pressure in the midfield, Hibs harassed their hosts with unrelenting chase, the excellent John O’Neil nipping at the heels of any opponent who ventured within his reach.

The wing-back was a constant menace and in the 25th minute he put Hibs in front. Bursting down the left flank, Zitelli swung a low cross into the box, a threat which caught the Stirling defence unaware. But not O’Neil, who waltzed untroubled into the middle to flick past Reid from two metres.

The contest should have been buried by half-time but with no further setback, Albion came out filled with verve and passion, an approach which was rewarded eight minutes after the re-start. A clever back-heel from Ally Graham split the Hibs defence and put Millar into a dangerous position. Sauzee stuck out a mis-placed boot to concede the penalty which Graham rifled past Colgan for the equaliser.

A wonderful, if unexpected tale was unfolding, but not before our eyes. As the mist thickened, word arose from the touchline that abandonment was a consideration. Despite all of the hosts’ resistance, and not a little flair in tandem, the SPL side retained their composure, pinning the aspiring giant-killers in their own territory with only sporadic interruptions.

The script was incomplete, however, and 12 minutes from the end, the dream conclusion for the minnows collapsed into thoughts of what may have been. Tom McManus, a substitute earlier for Ian Murray, collected a square ball from Latapy and capitalised with no hesitation, advancing a few paces inside the box before his right foot unleashed an unstoppable blast.

"They made it difficult for us," under-stated McLeish, and if the capital club do eventually end their 99-year Cup drought, they will surely have no tougher test than this. What a shame, then, that so few of those in attendance will have seen the entire gripping drama.

The Teams:

Hibernian:
Colgan, G Smith, Fenwick, Laursen, Sauzee, Murray, Jack, Latapy, O'Neil, Paatelainen, Zitelli.

Stirling Albion:
Reid, Kelly, Milne, Gaughan, Martin, McCallion, Donald, Templeman, Miller, Feroz, Graham.

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