A Stevie Mallan penalty in the 92nd minute secured the three points which sent Hibs back to joint top of the table after a hard-fought encounter against St Johnstone in Perth this afternoon.
Head Coach Jack Ross made one change to the starting XI that drew with Motherwell last Saturday with Scott Allan replacing Kevin Nisbet who picked up a hamstring injury in midweek. Summer signing Drey Wright returned from injury to take a place on the bench against his former club.
ExHibs’ captain Liam Craig started for the Saints with former players David Wotherspoon and Callum Booth both on the bench.
Hibs started on the front foot and Martin Boyle tested Elliot Parish with a long-range effort which the keeper tipped round the post. From the resultant corner, Callum Hendry sliced the ball onto his arm but referee John Beaton waved away the Hibs’ players appeals.
In the 12th minute Danny McNamara was fortunate not to see red following a reckless challenge on Joe Newell but the referee decided a yellow card was sufficient.
Ryan Porteous did well to stop a St Johnstone break away before finding Daryl Horgan who was dispossessed after a 40-yard run into the box.
Paul Hanlon was the next name in the referee’s notebook in the 20th minute after a foul on Craig Conway which broke up a Saints’ attack.
Five minutes later Alex Gogic’s long ball was headed by by Christian Doidge into the path of Boyle but his effort flew over the bar.
In an incredible three minute spell, Hibs had the ball in the net twice and St Johnstone once but all three ‘goals’ were ruled out.
First Boyle blocked a clearance from Parish and the ball fell to Horgan but he mishit his volley and Boyle tapped the ball into the net from an offside position.
In the next passage of play Hendry headed a Conway cross past Marciano but the linesman’s flag was raised although a television replay suggested Horgan was playing the Saints’ striker onside.
Boyle was then brought down by Liam Gordon on the right and from the resultant free-kick Doidge rose above the Saints’ defenders and sent a powerful header goal-wards. Parish produced a superb point blank save and the ball was adjudged to have struck Doidge’s shoulder before he managed to bundle the ball over the line from close range and Beaton disallowed the effort.
Just before the break Conway was lucky to escape punishment for a late challenge on Allan on the half-way line.
The hosts started the second-half brightly and had three good chances in the opening four minutes.
Marciano did well to stop a Hendry cross with Michael O’Halloran waiting at the back post the Jason Kerr broke clear and sent an inviting low cross across the face of the goal but there were no takers.
Marciano then produced an acrobatic save to tip a powerful strike from McNamara over the bar.
Hendry was booked for a deliberate trip on Newell to prevent a Hibs’ break away and from the free-kick Porteous’s long ball was headed by Doidge into the path of Boyle. The Socceroo created a yard of space but his shot was blocked.
Hendry should have been sent off moments later for another deliberate trip on Boyle but the referee felt the free-kick was sufficient punishment.
Wright replaced Horgan on the hour mark and Wotherspoon and Stevie May came on for Conway and Hendry.
Allan was booked for trying to trip Conway just before the substitutions took place then Stevie Mallan took his place on the pitch, making his first appearance of 2020.
Hanlon did well to clear a dangerous low cross from O’Halloran as both side pressed forward looking for a goal. Craig went close with a long range effort just before Hibs made a double substitution in the 73rd minute as Melker Hallberg and Jamie Gullan replaced Josh Doig and Joe Newell resulting in a change of formation.
Doidge tried to head a cross into the path of Gullan but it was deflected for a corner then Wright and Hallberg combined well down the left but the move came to nothing.
Parish did well to tip a Hanlon cross away with Doidge set to pounce then in the last minute Boyle won a corner on the right.
Malan’s cross was headed onto the post by Gogic and Craic cleared the ball off the line. The ball was returned into the box by Gogic and Gordon pushed Hanlon in the back. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Mallan fired a thunderbolt straight down the middle past the diving Parish.
Craig was shown a yellow card for protesting the decision then after the final whistle was shown a red for persisting.
The result leaves Hibs in second place, behind Rangers on goal-difference.
Mallan told Luke Shanley of Sky Sports: “It was just hard work from the boys. We knew that coming to McDairmid Park it’s always going to be a hard game. Every time we’ve came it’s been a tough game and we got a little bit of luck at the end when we got the penalty and we’ve managed to come away with the three points and it just shows that the run we’ve been on at the start of the season hard work has paid off and you get that little bit of luck.
“The manager told me to do what I usually do because it’s been a long road for me to get back into my fitness so he just said ‘be the match winner’ pretty much so thankfully it worked out.
“As soon as I saw the penalty was given I ran for the ball as I have always had faith in my ability. I’ve scored the last couple that I’ve hit so I knew that if I stepped up I would score it.”
Parrish, Kerr, Gordon, McCart, McNamara, Tanser, Craig, McCann, Conway, O’Halloran, Hendry, Subs: Sinclair, Booth, Duffy, Olaofe, Rooney, Wotherspoon, Robertson, Ballantyne.
Hibs: Marciano ,McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Doig, Boyle, Gogic, Newell, Allan Horgan, Doidge, Subs: Dabrowski, Gray, McGregor, Stevenson, Stirling, Hallberg, F Murray, Wright, Gullan, Mallan.
Referee John Beaton
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
