Livingston 0 Hibernian 3

2002
Scottish Premier League
Attendance:

Scorers:
Hibernian: O'Connor, O'Neil, Pederssen (O.G.).

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday 10th March 2002

O’Connor delivers punchline for Hibs

PRIOR to kick-off, the biggest cheers were for Javier Sanchez Broto. But, if the goalkeeper, on the bench for the first time since injuring himself in an earlier clash with Hibs back in September, was the fans’ favourite before this match, his popularity had soared further by the end of the 90 minutes.

That was due to the man who has been deputising between the sticks, Nick Culkin, and his amazing gift of an opener.

Instead of clearing a simple back pass from Marvin Andrews, he tried to chest it down, made a muck-up of it, and before he could do anything to stop him, Hibs’s Gary O’Connor had nipped in and scored.

Perhaps the presence of Broto in training and on the bench is too unnerving, but whatever the reason it gave Hibs confidence and the victory.

It is the win few in football would have predicted a matter of weeks ago. Hibs at that stage were a rag-tag rabble of a squad, displaying distressing signs of desperation and Livingston, although minus some of their early season majesty, were still grinding out results. But, since then the Almondvale side have slipped up against relegation favourites St Johnstone, Franck Sauzee was replaced by Bobby Williamson in the Hibs hot seat and the Easter Road men routed their rivals for the drop to all but safeguard their SPL status and bolster their self-belief.

A different looking side in the past two games, that may be down to Williamson, or it may just be that early goals are good for the Hibs psyche.

The prompt strike last week steadied fraying nerves and gave them the breathing space to pass the ball about with more conviction, while the 15th minute opener in this one served the same purpose.

A passionate man, and one of the game’s winners, Williamson had obviously informed the players that anything less than 100% will not be tolerated.

The players seem to react better to his fiery guidance than the calm and thoughtful instructions of Sauzee. He has certainly stoked the dying fires in their bellies.

Livingston were the most threatening of the pair but the side who are in danger of letting a European berth slip from their grasp could not take the chances that came their way and, more importantly, crush the spirit of their opponents who battled hard in defence and in midfield while always looking to break forward when the opportunity arose .

A few weeks ago, under the pressure exerted here by Livingston, Hibs would have capitulated but things have changed.

Craig Brewster was on the end of two of the sweeping moves which failed to reap the rewards, hitting the bar with one of them in the fourth minute, while Culkin tipped a diagonal shot that was bound for the top corner over the bar just before half-time.

But Culkin couldn’t stop John O’Neil in the 45th minute, when the Hibs captain, blocked initially by Didier Santini, reacted first to the breaking ball and chipped Culkin, caught neither in the fray nor on his line.

Although Hibs were an improved and more relaxed yet clinical version of their recent self, the glory of this game as far as neutrals were concerned was that the game could still have swung either way.

David Fernandez and Stevie Tosh had combined in the second minute of the match but were foiled by Nick Colgan, who intercepted Tosh’s cross from the bye-line, while young Michael Hart should have equalled matters a minute after the opener but, a yard off the goal-line, he couldn’t even get his header on target.

David Bingham was the next to fluff an opportunity, and Fernandez had a double chance in the 39th minute but Colgan got a fingertip to the first shot and the Spaniard put the second shot wide.

That the most significant second half shot on goal by a Livingston player was the own goal by debut boy Morten Petersen will infuriate the manager Jim Leishman and evidently the home support who left in droves after it hit the back of the net.

For a support to have been treated to some of the most entertaining football in the league this season, it was the height of ingratitude.

Hibs, on the other hand, were extremely grateful for the goal which secured the three points and maintained Williamson’s unbeaten record as gaffer at Easter Road.

A second successive victory could be construed as pure greed given the fact that his predecessor would have loved just one league triumph.

But winning is something Williamson has demanded from his players and while Sauzee was a man who could conduct affairs like few others on the pitch, Hibs seem to have finally found the ideal man for the dugout.

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