Match report

Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Saints hit Hibs for five

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Saints (5) v Hibernian (1)
Attendance [4,100]

Above: Kenny Deuchar heads home to make it 3-0.


Danny Grainger dropped out of the squad for tonight’s game against Hibs – Steven Anderson coming into the side and there were further changes elsewhere in the line-up - Jody Morris, Paul Sheerin and the injured Peter MacDonald all dropped out to be replaced by Kevin Moon, Liam Craig and Kenny Deuchar.

With third placed Hibs nobody’s mugs under John Hughes and Saints on a mini-winless streak, it is difficult to know what the majority of Perth fans were expecting in this game.

Well, what they got was one of the best first half performances of the season so far as they swept to their opponents goal from kick off and were rewarded with two goals in the opening spell of the game.

The match was only 5 minutes old when the breakthrough came and it was recalled midfielder Liam Craig who got the goal – a left foot effort drilled low from the edge of the box. The build up had come down the right and seen Hibs only partially clear the ball which Murray Davidson got a head on and found Sheridan who laid it back into the path of Craig who wasted no time in dispatching the ball behind Smith.

No sooner had Saints fans celebrated that goal than they were on their feet again as Sheridan turned from goal provider to goal scorer. Again, it was a fine move, started by Michael Duberry who headed danger away out of the Saints penalty box and in a flash, we were away down the left hand side with Liam Craig who exchanged passes with Murray Davidson and when Murray slid the ball into the box, Cillian was on hand to provide a sublime angled finish to make it 2-0.

Saints went on to enjoy the best of the remainder of the half and the Hibs defence rarely looked comfortable as they were hassled and harried at every opportunity. Sol Bamba in particular wasn’t enjoying the persistence of Cillian Sheridan.

Saints could have increased their lead on a couple of occasions – as early as the 13th minute Hibs keeper Graeme Smith had to get both hands behind a stinging effort from Kenny Deuchar who had brought the ball down brilliantly before unleashing an effort that could easily have made it 3-0.
And ten minutes before half-time Cillian Sheridan came within inches of firing the ball between the legs of the keeper after he had got on the end of a nice pass from Liam Craig.

Other half-chances came our way and it was only in the final few minutes of the half that the visitors threatened our goal but the Perth defence coped well with what came their way.

With leads having been tossed away on more than one occasion this season, there would have been few Saints fans in the ground that believed that a two goal cushion at half-time would be enough to ensure the win.

However, they must have been heartened that their side again grabbed the initiative from kick off and forced two corners in the opening moments of the second half.

Within four minutes of the restart Liam Craig had a chance to make it 3-0 – the ball reached him at the edge of the box by way of a fortunate deflection but on his weaker right foot he could only fire the ball straight at Hibs keeper Graeme Smith.

The pressure was relentless, with Hibs restricted to a very occasional foray upfield – Derek Riordan firing high and wide in one of them while at the other end Sheridan was put in on goal but his shot was blocked by Smith.
Hibs had the ball in net in 56 minutes after something of a scramble but the assistant at the East Stand ended any joy they may have had when he raised his flag – perhaps fortuitously for Saints.

However, seven minutes later Saints got the third goal they deserved and this time it was Kenny Deuchar who got on the end of Sheridan cross from the left to head powerfully home.

Any hopes that Saints could coast to a 3-0 victory were dashed just three minutes later though when Hibs got a goal back. It was a ‘route one’ affair and for the only time in the evening the Saints defence was caught out as Rankin’s long ball went over the top and Anthony Stokes was on it in a flash, rounded the goalkeeper and fired it into the net.

By this time, a small proportion of the Hibs fans had headed for the exit and so missed the goal but there plenty more visiting fans on their way home just three minutes later when the game took a dramatic further turn.

Striker Colin Nish had been on the field for just over ten minutes but when referee Brian Winter was called over to speak to the Main Stand assistant the Hibs substitute was shown a straight red card after flicking a kick at Michael Duberry.

Just seconds later and it was all over as a contest as Saints made it 4-1. Kenny Deuchar was the architect with some real tenacious play in the box – he was virtually on his knees as he attempted to set up a scoring chance and when the ball did land at the feet of Cillian Sheridan, the Irishman wasted not time in lashing it into the net.

There were two further notable moments on a night thoroughly enjoyed by the home support: a clear hand ball from a Liam Craig corner kick allowed the Saints midfielder to bag his second goal of the game from the penalty spot – only just though! Liam watched as his spot kick hit the legs of Smith in the Hibs goal but it spun backwards and had enough power to go over the line to make it 5-1.

The night took a sour turn in the dying minutes when Kenny Deuchar was injured in a challenge with Ian Murray and had to be stretchered off but it was the only down side of a truly great performance where the team finally got the goals and the emphatic win that their play merited – and there have been plenty of occasions this season when that has not been the case.

SAINTS; Smith, Mackay, Anderson, Duberry, Gartland, Millar, Davidson (Samuel), Moon, Craig, Deuchar (Swankie), Sheridan (Milne).
Subs not used: Main, Irvine, Connolly, Sheerin

HIBS: Smith, Hogg, Murray, Bamba, Hanlon, Miller, Zemmama (Wotherspoon), Rankin, Stokes, Benjeloun (Nish), Riordan.
Subs not used: Stack, Cregg, Gow, Thicot, Stevenson

PHOTOS
Top - Cillian Sheridan is congratulated after making it 4-1
Bottom - Liam Craig spins away after making it 5-1 from the penalty spot