St Johnstone 0 Hibernian 0

December 22nd 2001
Scottish Premier League
Attendance:

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday December 23rd 2001.

Sauzee’s search for redemption will need more than passing attention

ONE thing is for sure: there are no false dawns at Easter Road under the Sauzee regime. A dour goalless draw in Perth only highlighted a point made in these pages as early as the second game of the season that Hibs are half the team they were in the previous campaign. One of the reasons this is so was standing on the touchline wearing a coat: the other could well be back to haunt them in Boxing Day in a Rangers strip.

But without Franck Sauzee’s presence in the centre of defence and Russell Latapy’s inspiration behind the strikers, Hibs are ordinary at best by SPL standards. However, for the new manager there was an inkling that things could only get better. After a lacklustre first half, they did produce enough in the second to win the game, hitting the woodwork twice and missing several chances. That they didn’t convert these opportunities explains their current status.

Meanwhile, a certain unease must be creeping in at Easter Road, especially with the prospect of facing Rangers and an Edinburgh derby this week. For St Johnstone, the situation is more straightforward. Planted firmly at the bottom of the table, they did nothing yesterday to suggest that they will start climbing.

If Billy Stark does drag them clear, he would surely deserve to be quoted as manager of the year.

But when you are at the bottom, your lack of luck is evident, and though captain Jim Weir had returned against Livingston, he was missing again after fracturing a cheekbone midweek at training. However, former Hibs player Darren Dods produced a very solid performance that was instrumental in Stark’s side gaining a point.

To be fair to Sauzee, he had begun the significant work on Monday, and brought in countryman Freddie Arpinon in midfield and Ulrik Laursen as full-back as Hibs stuck with 4-4-2. Sauzee had called on his charges to play football with the ball, which prompted the question, what else did he expect them to play with? But the point was taken, and within the first five minutes, Hibs had strung a 20-pass move together, but it frittered out as Tom McManus, virtually on his own up front, did not pose a penetrative threat: this was to prove Hibs’ problem throughout the first half.

They dinked the ball about well enough, but when Arpinon and Grant Brebner tried to break from deep in midfield, it was usually too late, while the game seemed to bypass David Zitelli playing off McManus.

Old pro Paul Kane, an underrated player throughout his career, brought a bit of ballast to Saints’ midfield, literally and figuratively a fuller figure since his lay-off. He blocked Hibs coming through the middle but, while St Johnstone were more direct in their approach to goal, their efforts were mainly off target.

However, in the 10th minute, they had the chance to go ahead when Rached Djebali’s cross was inadvertently flicked on by Paul Fenwick in the middle of the Hibs defence to Tommy Lovenkrands at the back post. The Dane hesitated, and the fractional delay gave Hibs’ goalkeeper Nick Colgan time to block the ensuing shot.

At half-time, Sauzee had obviously directed his charges to attack via the wing, and they almost scored twice in the first five minutes. On both occasions, Zitelli set up the chance, the first from a corner. A seemingly-innocuous ball to the front post picked out Arpinon, whose angled header caught Alan Miller by surprise, but hit the underside of the bar, and bounced to safety.

A minute later, Zitelli crossed from the left to find McManus coming in at the front post, and his side-footed shot rebounded off it.

Hibs maintained the pressure, but were almost too desperate. Arpinon hooked the ball well over from six yards after a Fenwick head-down from another Zitelli corner, and the French midfielder had another opportunity when Brebner chested down and played in the perfect ball. Arpinon got behind his man and had time to pick his spot, but directed his header wide.

The double substitution of Ecuadorians Eduardo Hurtado and Ulises de la Cruz could not turn the game for Hibs, although Hurtado almost sneaked in a header in 75th minute. But with Zitelli no longer on the park, they had lost that cutting edge.

Meanwhile, with five minutes to go, St Johnstone almost took full points when Paul Hartley nearly replicated his goal of last week. A short-free kick saw him crash in a shot which Colgan dived to punch clear.

It would have been a cruel blow to Hibs, but Stark could tell Sauzee that cruel fate should be what one expects at the wrong end of the table.

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