Dunfermline 2 - 3 Hibernian: Hibs gain a little Leighway
THE beautiful game? Who needs it? What this one lacked in finesse it more than made up for with passion, pride and sheer unadulterated drama.
Defensive mistakes and a lack of composure have cost these teams dearly this season, but the same shortcomings conspired to serve up a cracker here.
It was frenetic stuff. Dunfermline went ahead, then Hibs, and in a quite potty final 15 minutes, there were three goals, two of them inside a couple of minutes. When the curtain finally fell, it was the visitors taking a bow thanks to two goals by Leigh Griffiths and one from Garry O’Connor, who also managed to get a yellow card for diving.
When the dust settled on this breathless relegation showdown, Hibs had moved four points clear of bottom-placed Dunfermline. Perhaps more importantly, they came from behind, just as they did in the defeat of Cowdenbeath seven days earlier. “The last two weeks, we have shown real character,” said Pat Fenlon, their manager. “Last week was a difficult venue, and this was no different. The last couple of weeks, they have shown real desire for the football club and that is what we are looking for.”
The win was particularly sweet for Griffiths, who cancelled out Andy Kirk’s opener, and scored the winner with seven minutes left. It was the perfect way to end a week in which he was handed a one-match ban for his goal celebration at Central Park. “The celebration was good this week,” said Fenlon. “If you score a goal, you should enjoy it and he certainly enjoyed it.”
So did the huge Hibs following. A run of wretched form tends to drive the average supporter away, but the Edinburgh fans turned up in their thousands here, so much so that the stand along one side of the pitch, hitherto closed to save money, was opened just before kick-off to accommodate an overspill from over the Forth.
It made for a cup-tie atmosphere, exacerbated by one or two over-excited players, whose nervous tension only added to the spectacle. Dunfermline, in particular, had a hard job reminding themselves to get the ball down and pass it around, but their sheer enthusiasm unsettled Hibs in the first half.
Set-pieces seemed to be their best bet, and it was from one of those that they snatched an early lead. Joe Cardle’s free-kick wide on the left swung like a magnet towards Mark Brown’s goal, but not so close that the Hibernian goalkeeper could collect. Kirk timed his run and jump to perfection, helping the ball into the net with a glancing header. Hibs, though, were also demonstrating their potential as an attacking force. Callum Booth’s firm shot was beaten away by Iain Turner, making his debut in the Dunfermline goal.
Griffiths, though, did not waste his opportunity. When David Wotherspoon returned a loose ball into the danger area, Isaiah Osbourne let it run through to the Hibs striker, whose angled drive across Turner found the bottom corner.
Thereafter, it was Hibs who looked the likelier to score. Ivan Sproule bundled a hooked effort narrowly wide, Osbourne’s run and shot prompted a smart parry by Turner, and Griffiths seemed to be growing in confidence. On one occasion, he collected the ball with his back to goal, expertly shielded it from his marker and turned to release a low shot that lacked only the angle.
Increasingly, Dunfermline were pinned back on the edge of their own penalty area, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before they conceded. Their frustration will be that the goal, when it came, arrived seconds after they had squandered a chance at the other end.
Cardle chose to shoot from a tight angle, when a square pass might have been more productive, the upshot of which was an easy save by Brown, and a swift break by Hibs. Booth surged towards the penalty area and picked out Griffiths, whose pass in turn set up O’Connor. The substitute struck his first-time shot high into the net.
Given how hard they had worked to establish their lead, it must have infuriated Fenlon to maintain it for just seven minutes. When his defenders failed to clear their lines, the ball was laid wide to Liam Buchanan, the Dunfermline substitute, who clipped it under the goalkeeper’s body.
But in a final twist even Fenlon could not have predicted, Hibs produced an immediate response. Griffiths collected possession in the box and spun off his marker. For a moment, it looked as though Turner had saved the striker’s low, left-foot shot but it was firm enough to go in.
It was galling for Dunfermline, who have secured just six points from a possible 51, and are still without a home win in the league, but Jim McIntyre, their manager, refused to be downbeat. “It was end-to-end, a fabulous game of football for the neutral,” he said. “It’s obviously not the result we wanted, but if we can serve up that every week, we will be fine.”
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Comments
There are 118 comments to this article
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donald marr
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 12:16 PMTott did you notice the odd spelling of prejudice? I pasted it from your last post. You are a buffoon who can't write coherently,or spell for sour apples. Save your pearls of wisdom for the Hearts threads.
donald marr
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 12:09 PM#115 I have a strong predujice against you as you are a wind up merchant ,full of Colin Cameron stats.And other things.
donald marr
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 12:05 PMToTT,well done my old son, for spotting the deliberate mistake! I'll try you out with something a bit more tricky next week. Mind you I still think you'd give a couple of short planks a run for their money!
Hen Broon
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 08:08 AM#114 I have a strong predujice against you as you are an anti Irish Bigot. I have a strong predujice against you because i cannot stand your ' Rangers; type of bigotry being brought up on edinburgh football forums. Hope Wee Pat does well at Hibs and if that coming from a Hearts fan bothers you....good!
Baldrick
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 11:20 PM111* You seem to display a strong prejudice against Rangers. Don't blame you for that though. I have a strong prejudice against all 3 of Scotland's Irish based clubs, particularly Rangers as it happens. I heartily applaud Dundee Utd for changing their name from the ridiculous Dundee Hibernian all those years ago.
seenitawb4
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 10:08 PMlmao !! Off myself to watch sportscene, want to see pen again adios !
Hen Broon
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 10:00 PM#110 ,,,,too late he is in bed.......school night. WEE (does that make me a Hibs man?) Rankin scored a 30 yard scorcher....mmmmm....looks a player in a UTD team....
Hen Broon
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:57 PM#Only a wannae be current bun would think that....i'll even pay your bus fare son....... your one of the minority the rest of the HEARTS fans do not want. There is no place for you at Tynecastle.
seenitawb4
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:54 PMMrs fibs if any proof you are a "numpty" is needed then the reading of any of your posts will suffice, not drinking tonight ? only asking as the personal insults are rather tame for a bona fide keyboard warrior with form grrrrr tiger xx
Baldrick
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:49 PM77* Jambos would never affectionately refer to an untested Hibs manager as "Wee Pat". Simple as that.
Portsmouth 657
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:47 PMSurely the SPL need to start taking action against the weekly dives taken by the hibs players. Its a disgrace and makes a laughing stock of hibs.
Hobo Harry
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:36 PM105 talko'thetoun 14 degrees here in Kansas City and I am off to fire up the barbie.....good day to one and all
Hen Broon
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:35 PMtoo late NEDS back policing the forums...... do not worry Ned I know I bore you as much as you amuse me.....leave me with the adults and we'll both be fine. R U related to Donald? Did U watch RUDIS hat trick....it was just like watching BRAZIL. Now light out & bed wee man school tomorrow.
Hen Broon
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:31 PMHH ..... as I said come FEB 1st i was clearly talking short term. However agree Hibs will not go down as I cannot see the PARS avoiding the drop. Meduim to long term it surely depends on PETRIE giving a bit of flxibilty to the 60% of turnover player budget he has stated that Hibs will stick to. IE Turnover likely to be down a million plus this season .....thats £600k of the budget or three £4k a week players. I'm not expressing an opinion one way or the other I am simply saying that there is no certainty re how much support PF will get & that will obviously have a big bearing on how well he does. However enough from me......I'm off before the serial abusers re appear.
MrHibs07-1973
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 09:23 PMComment removed by moderator
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