Stranraer 0 Hibernian 0

January 5th 2002
Scottish Cup
Attendance:

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday 6th January 2002

Hibs stumble on the Stair

HIBS and Stranraer may share the unwelcome distinction of being footnotes on Celtic’s strident march to the completion of their treble at Hampden last May, but the Premier League representatives surely had greater reason for hope that yesterday would provide a simple opening gambit to negotiate as they bid to end what is now a century’s estrangement from the Scottish Cup’s alluring embrace.

Instead, what they received was another miserable blow to their already bruised confidence, their evident fallibilities exposed by a minnow whose nominal value is but a fraction of their giant counterparts.

It was during Hibs’ temporary sojourn in the First Division that the Edinburgh side last acquainted themselves with Stranraer, an uncomfortable encounter at Easter Road which the Galloway outfit won 2-1 now eulogised in triumphant style on the club's website as the greatest day in The Blues’ lengthy history.

For long spells, the two sides again looked like residents at the same level such was the inventive pursuit with which Stranraer chased their distinguished guests, denying Hibs the space to manoeuvre at every turn while exhibiting a flurry of neat touches which belied their apparent standing. A stranger stepping off the nearby ferry into Stair Park would have been hard pressed to identify which team was the representative from the SPL, and which Second Division aspirants.

Billy McLaren’s well-organised troops nullified Hibs throughout, sometimes with guile, at others with sheer persistence. Struggling desperately for the oxygen of goals and without a victory to date in the post-McLeish era, and with none under any of the Easter Road regnum since October, pummelling a lower ranked irritant would have been just the ticket to instil a certain je ne sais quoi into the hitherto flat-lined reign of Franck Sauzee.

Yet again they fell short. Solid elsewhere, their undoing was again a toothless attack, Stranraer maintain at least a hope of a stunning advance into the fourth round once the replay is negotiated in Leith.

"Scottish Cup games are always hard," reflected a stoical Sauzee afterwards. "I think we did well, especially in the first half but to win you must score. In the last few games as well, we've had chances. We looked afraid to lose a goal at the end but we must keep going."

The pitch may have survived the ravages of the frost which proved so fatal elsewhere but it was not without its eccentricities, the moisture leaving the surface sodden and fragile. It was the home side who adjusted quicker to its unpredictability, Hibs often confounded by the willingness of the ball to roll to a halt, Stranraer happy to chase lost causes which turned into goldmines of opportunity.

Billy McDonald, the fulcrum of much of the home side’s initiative broke clear in such fashion in only the second minute, deceiving Ulrik Laursen with a dummy before testing Nick Colgan with a fierce drive. His understanding with Stranraer's leading scorer Ian Harty was impressive, their bright industry matched by their colleagues who raced for every tackle as if it were their last.

Without the injured Paco Luna and Craig Brewster, plus the suspended Mathias Jack, Sauzee’s line-up again lacked sufficient punch in attack and even when they finally emerged from their early slumber, their increasing control in midfield was rarely matched further upfield. Tom McManus was unable to help a powerful header from Gary Smith into the net and he then twice squandered chances from close range in the space of a minute, Paul Fenwick doing likewise with a header which was comfortably gathered by Stranraer’s vigilant keeper Mark McGeown.

Buoyed though by their early dominance, the promotion-chasing home team lacked nothing in ambition. Kevin Finlayson, loitering on the right flank, sized up Ian Murray and liked his chances, darting past the Hibs defender before slipping the most succulent of crosses across a vacant goal-line, Stephen Aitken’s lunge centimetres short of providing the vital touch.

So far, so mediocre for Hibs. Last term at this stage, they struggled greatly amid Stirling’s fog before squeezing through. As a similar blanket rolled in from the sea, they toiled again to gain the measure of an unfancied opponent. Hope came in the shape of Ulises De la Cruz who made himself a singular impediment to home raids while injecting a catalysing ingredient in attack. The Ecuadorian set up a sitter for Laursen in the 19th minute with a piercing despatch to the back post but the Dane shamefully tapped against the post.

As the early pace slowed a notch, so inversely grew Hibs’ impatience as the underdogs withstood all that Hibs could throw in their direction. McManus, the sole survivor of the team which came here and won 4-0 on its previous visit, was injured in a collusion with McGeown and replaced by David Zitelli, whose best effort just before half-time lacked both power and placement. In apparent compensation, De la Cruz in particular was determined to shoot on sight, one 25-metre missile bobbling menacingly in front of the home goal before dropping just wide.

Stranraer departed for the interval to a deserved standing ovation, Sauzee surely hoping that the break would afford a chance to invigorate his frustrated charges.

What the struggling capital side really required was an old hand to seize the contest by the throat and direct it decisively in their favour. In short, someone like Sauzee himself.

Hibs continued to batter away at the Stranraer rearguard, hoping for an error which might bring about a saving grace in the absence of a genuine assassin in the box.

Young striker Derek Riordan, now in possession of a five-year deal at Easter Road, was introduced with 15 minutes remaining but although the young striker freed Zitelli for the best chance of the second half, the Frenchman lashed wildly over, Hibs challenge disappearing with little pomp into the mist.

Tale from the Terracing - Fatty's View

Traffic problems meant that I arrived at Dens Park at 3:15 to discover that the game had kicked off without me and that we were a goal down! The size of the Hibs crowd was very impressive, although they seemed a little subdued in the warm sunshine.

Hibs seemed to play the better football in what I saw of the first half and De La Cruz continues to impress, although I wish he would take his man on more often.

The second half saw Hibs really go at Dundee, and eventually get the equaliser through a scrambled John O'Neil goal. Then Alex McLeish totally baffled us by replacing Brewster and Luna with Zittelli and O'Connor before the restart. I'm not sure why he did this, but there can be no doubt that it unsettled the team just as they got on top.

As if to prove the point, Dundee went ahead again three minutes after the equaliser.

There can be little doubt that Dundee play some lovely football at times, and in Sara and Caballero they have two quality strikers. They probably deserved the three points from this game, but lets hope Alen Orman is back for next weeks match against Aberdeen.

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