Hibs 2 - 0 Motherwell: Hibs keep pressure on Old Firm

Published on Saturday 5 December 2009 12:11

Goals from Anthony Stokes and a second effort from the Republic of Ireland striker stretched Hibs unbeaten SPL run to ten matches as they defeated Motherwell for a second time this season.

As the only side to have beaten the Fir Park outfit in the League, the Edinburgh side continued to hunt down the Old Firm, just two points separating them from top spot.

If there was one complaint, however, it would have been that Hibs didn't press home their undoubted superiority with a greater margin of victory over a visiting side which was distinctly second best for much of the 90 minutes.

With Graham Stack failing a pre-match fitness test on the back problem which forced him to quit halfway through last week's 2-0 win over Falkirk, Yves Ma-Kalambay kept his place in goal to start his first SPL game in more than three months while Kevin McBride was again missing with an ankle injury.

Hibs made a sluggish start and Ian Murray had to look sharp to intercept as Jamie Murphy attempted to get onto a Lukas Jutiewicz cross before John Hughes' side slowly but surely took a grip of proceedings.

Colin Nish sent a looping header from a Derek Riordan corner over before Motherwell goalkeeper John Ruddy saved his side twice in a minute, tipping over a superb curling effort from John Rankin and then repeating the trick as he denied Riordan.

Hibs skipper Chris Hogg, though, was forced to throw himself into the path of a shot from Jutkiewicz as Motherwell mounted a rare attack on Ma-Kalambay's goal before Stokes fired the home side into the lead in the 41st minute with his fifth goal of the season.

It was a well-crafted goal, Ma-Kalambay starting the move with a throw to Merouane Zemmama before Nish took over, feeding the ball to Riordan who clipped it over the top of Fir Park defender Mark Reynolds for Stokes to take down and drill low beyond Ruddy.

But Hibs had a stunning save from Ma-Kalambay to thank for going in level at the interval, the big Belgian somehow managing to push Steven Saunders' point-blank header from Forbes free-kick over his own bar.

Giles Coke tessted Ma-Kalambay with a low near post shot as the match got underway again but it was Hibs who were celebrating with a second goal in the 55th minute, Zemmama playing the ball in to Nish who laid it back for Stokes. The Republic of Ireland striker made good contact but his shot appeared to take a wicked deflection off Nish before looping up and over the stranded Ruddy and into the net.

Hibs were well in command although both Zemmama and Riordan were guilty of going it alone when the better option was a pass to a team-mate before the home side survived loud claims for a penalty as Sol Bamba challenged Murphy, the Motherwell man going down only to be booked by referee Iain Brines for diving when another official might well have pointed to the spot.

The Easter Road fans, though, were looking for another goal and Stokes almost supplied it with a powerful shot which Ruddy did well to beat round the post. The Irishman went even closer, getting his head to Riordan's corner only to see the ball glance off the face of the crossbar.

Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Wotherspoon, Hogg, Bamba, Murray, Zemmama (Byrne 84), Miller, Rankin, Riordan (Galbraith 79), Nish (Cregg 90), Stokes. Subs not used: Flynn, McCormack, Stevenson, Benjelloun.

Motherwell: Ruddy, Moutaouakil, Saunders, Reynolds, Hammell, Coke, Hateley, Forbes (O'Brien 46), Murphy, Jutkiewicz, Sutton (Lasley 46). Subs not used: Fraser, Craigan, Archdeacon, Page, McHugh.

Referee: Iain Brines.