The Hibees are back up to third in the cinch Premiership after a convincing win over St Mirren at Easter Road. We picked out five key positives from the match!
Rocky’s Aerial Dominance
Rocky Bushiri is back in the heart of the Hibs defence and he is back to doing what he does best.
Our Belgian brick wall dominated the Leith skies, winning ten headers – the most in the SPFL this weekend – and was part of a defence that kept our first clean sheet since the start of October. This was Rocky’s second start since returning from injury and despite our defeat to St Johnstone last Friday, it was clear to see that our central defender was back to full fitness.
With our home fixture against Ross County sandwiched in between away trips to Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, Rocky’s presence in our defence is more important than ever as Hibs look to go into the World Cup break with a good deal of momentum.
Melkersen Is Back
On the topic of players’ returns, how good was it to see Elias Melkersen back at Easter Road!?
“It was good to get the likes of Melks back on the pitch”, Lee Johnson acknowledge in his post match press conference.
The young forward has had a stop-start campaign so far after suffering various injuries, including a concussion. Now fully recovered, it was great to see the Norwegian back on the Easter Road turf.
The Norwegian teenager brings energy without the ball and a direct goal threat with it. His addition helps bolster our attacking threat and leaves the gaffer with great depth in his attacking options.
The Ups and Downs of VAR
Saturday’s win was our second match since the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made its grand entrance into Scottish football. We could look forward to new graphics on the screens around the ground, a hand to the ear from the referee and a television planted by the tunnel. Within 45 minutes against St Mirren, we had seen all three.
It was an excellent bit of play. Joe Newell’s sly through pass sent the Saints’ back-line into disarray and Marijan Čabraja’s expert low-cross was slid home by Mykola Kuharevich. Unfortunately, VAR said no and our sixth-minute opener was ruled out for offside.
Fast-forward towards the end of the half and, this time, VAR was there to lend a hand. Chris Cadden had cut back and sent a left-footed cross into the area which was blocked by opposition full-back Richard Tait. The Hibs players certainly spotted it and were quick to alert referee Don Robertson, who waived away the initial claims.
On closer replay, the ball had struck Tait’s hand and, after the referee was called to the screen, he had no choice but to give a penalty. Martin Boyle made no mistake from the spot.
Everyone inside Easter Road has learned that VAR can induce a rollercoaster of emotions in just one half of football. There is sure to be plenty more drama as the season progresses…
Our Squad Is Full of Character
Three defeats in a row can be tough on any team, and our previous results had not been too kind to us. With defeats to Dundee United, Celtic and St Johnstone, the squad were determined to bounce back with a positive result against St Mirren.
“I think there’s that nice feeling of relief,” said the gaffer. “I’m not 100% sure we deserved three defeats on the spin before today because of our performances, but we had them.
Self-admittance and then the ability to set the record straight, Lee Johnson’s side showed plenty of character to end our short spell of defeats. Whether it was Marshall’s superb save to deny Baccus, Rocky’s last-ditch tackle or Myko’s determination and clinical finishing, our lads were itching to get back to winning ways.
Speaking of Myko, after the match, he told us: “I am very happy with that performance. We are all very happy to win the game and hopefully, we can go on a bit of a run again now.
“Every goal for me is important, especially when we win the game. That is the most important thing.”
A Solid Back Line
Clean sheets in the cinch Premiership can go a long way. Remember, this was a league that saw an average of 2.47 goals per game last season.
Our back three encapsulates a perfect blend of youth and experience. Club stalwart Paul Hanlon, the aerially dominant Rocky Bushiri and our newly-capped Scotland international, Ryan Porteous make up a dependable trio of central defenders. Saturday’s win marked the fifth clean sheet of the season – joint second-highest in the cinch Premiership this season.
