Blackburn 0 Hibs 0: Absent Deek takes gloss off display

Published on Thursday 6 August 2009 10:17

EVEN in his absence, Derek Riordan has the ability to overshadow everything.

Left behind for whatever reason as Hibs headed south for the first leg of a double-header against English Premier League opposition, it was the striker's exclusion from the party which travelled to face Blackburn Rovers which became the story, not his team-mates' commendable performance at Ewood Park. Disciplined after he'd spent the night in police cells following an early morning altercation outside an Edinburgh nightclub, Riordan was again at the centre of controversy as the rumours which had gripped the Hibs support in Lancashire proved to be spot-on.

Riordan, as they had predicted, was nowhere to be seen and afterwards boss John Hughes, who had been party to the meeting at which the 26-year-old was punished, was unwilling to throw further illumination as to the reasons why.

Asked if, as manager, it had been his decision, Hughes simply referred to the statement issued on the club's website which insisted the measures imposed would remain private. So was Riordan's omission from the squad for last night's match part of that punishment or a further penalty?

In the absence of the oft-used "training ground knock," explanation, make up your own mind as Hughes obliquely declared: "I think we have set standards at this club in everything since I came in and everyone has to maintain those standards. That's basically all I have to say on it."

Pressed further as to whether Riordan's absence could be linked to what happened early on Sunday morning, Hughes retorted: "I am not going to comment on that."

Irked as he and the Easter Road hierachy might have been by the latest negative headlines engendered by Riordan, Hughes, however, insisted his sometimes wayward star remained very much in the picture, hinting he could even make an appearance in Saturday's final warm-up match against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium. He said: "Derek is a big part of the plans for this club. Will he be considered for selection for Saturday? Definitely, I do not see why not. I'd like to think he will be with us."

With Finnish star Jonatan Johansson still struggling to shake off a thigh problem which has now forced him out of four preparatory matches and promising Irish youngster Kurtis Byrne having undergone minor surgery, Riordan's absence left Hughes painfully short of frontmen, Colin Nish left with the thankless task of ploughing a lone, and often unproductive furrow.

The irony of the situation seemed lost on Hughes as he bemoaned the lack of chances created by his side, a close-range header from Ian Murray which should have gone in, the closest Hibs came to beating former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson. At the other end Hibs had Yves Ma-Kalambay to thank for allowing them time to settle into the match, the towering goalkeeper touching away a powerful free-kick from Morten Gamst Pedersen and then blocking a point-blank header from Franco Di Santo before two minutes had even elapsed.

At that point it looked like being a long night for Ma-Kalambay and his defenders. But credit to Hughes' players: while faced with big, strong, physical opponents who made many of them look even more diminutive than they are, they didn't panic and steadfastly stuck to their passing game with the occasional dazzling run from Merouane Zemmama lifting the 500 or so fans who had journeyed down the M6.

Ma-Kalambay may have had a few nervy moments later on, but he was also on hand to beat away a shot from Jason Roberts who should have done better, while the keeper's confidence was such he even felt up to neatly side-stepping a sliding challenge from on-loan Chelsea kid Di Santo.

All a sign, Hughes believes, that the arrival of Graham Stack, who has yet to pull on the gloves as he battles a hamstring problem, has forced the sometimes erratic youngster to sharpen up his game. Hughes said: "Yves made one or two good saves to keep us in the game but I am telling the players every day what standards I am after and they have to match those standards. It's the same with Yves, there are no excuses, it's your stage and you have to go out and perform."

If the goals are still refusing to come there were, again, signs that Hughes and his assistant Brian Rice are getting their message over, with the manager satisfied, to some extent, that he'd seen his side retain the ball better than in Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Preston North End.

He said: "I believe the English Premier League is the best in the world and it was always going to be difficult for us. I'd like to think we could create more chances, that was sadly lacking a bit but we have come here and put up a good show. However, I am not getting carried away. We can take a bit of pride in what we have done as this was again a step-up from where we were on Saturday and we acquitted ourselves well. I tend to look on the other side and see how much work we still have to do and there is lots of it, but that will be the case in the weeks, months and years I am here.

"Having said that, though, I was happy with the attitude, application and the way they wanted to get on the ball and pass it. I couldn't have asked for any more."

Blackburn: Robinson, Jacobsen, Olsson, Nzonzi, Samba, Khizanishvili (Nelsen 64), Gallagher (Van Heerden 82), Andrews (Doran 67), Roberts, Di Santo (Hoilett 64), Gamst Pedersen, Substitutes: Brown, Warnock, Diouf.

Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, McCann (Van Zanten 78), Hogg, Bamba, Murray, Cregg (Wotherspoon 78), McBride (Thicot 78), Stevenson (Currie78), Zemmama, Nish, Rankin (Galbraith 78). Substitutes not used: Flynn..

Referee: Stuart Attwell.