Hibs can’t wallow in self-pity, says Pat Fenlon
Pat Fenlon
PAT FENLON today warned his Easter Road stars they have no time to wallow in self-pity if they are to win their fight to beat the drop after watching Hibs crash to their worst home defeat in more than quarter of a century.
The 5-0 hammering by Celtic was, the Irishman admitted, probably Hibs’ poorest performance since he succeeded Colin Calderwood, one which leaves the Edinburgh outfit separated from SPL basement outfit Dunfermline by just four goals.
And it was the heaviest defeat Hibs have suffered at their own ground since Celtic blitzed five past Alan Rough on September 7, 1987, Fenlon conceding his players had been guilty of gifting the champions elect “three, maybe four” of their goals.
Now Fenlon faces the huge task of lifting his players for Wednesday night’s trip to face Motherwell at Fir Park, the original game which would officially have been his first in charge of Hibs having been abandoned because of floodlight failure at the beginning of December, with the Capital side a goal ahead through Garry O’Connor.
Fenlon was in Lanarkshire to watch Stuart McCall’s players thump Hearts on Saturday despite having captain Keith Lasley sent off and knows his side have to lift themselves – and quickly – if they are to take anything from a night on which the Pars visit Celtic Park. The Hibs boss said: “Motherwell are playing really well. I saw them against Hearts and they were excellent so we cannot dwell on it [the defeat] and mope around. We have to get on with it.
“They [the players] have to realise why we are in the position. If you look at the table and what that says it is too important for anyone to be getting too down. They have to get themselves lifted, we will do our best to get them up and at it because it is a difficult ground.”
Having seen his side clock up back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in a year against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, Fenlon was dismayed to see Hibs fall apart having made the brighter start against Celtic.
Again defensive frailties were exposed as former Easter Road star Anthony Stokes powered in to head home the opener, Gary Hooper adding two more either side of a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick two minutes into the second half before Sung Yueng Ki inadvertently diverted Kris Commons’ wayward shot past Graham Stack.
Fenlon said: “We started the game really, really well and with 15 minutes gone we probably looked the better side. But the opening goal deflates our lads. Take nothing away from them, they played well but we also gifted them three, maybe four, of the goals. It was probably the worst performance we have had but now we have to focus on what is ahead, and that’s picking up points.”
Hibs lost Matt Doherty at half-time, the on-loan Wolves defender needing stitches above his eye after a clash with Stokes which provoked an angry exchange between Fenlon and Celtic coach Alan Thompson, referee Craig Thomson stepping in to calm the row.
Today, though, Fenlon insisted he felt the incident was more accidental than deliberate.
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Comments
There are 52 comments to this article
Page 1 of 4
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:25 AMApt name or not Rocketman. dont get away from your European record. EMBARRASSING MR ROCKET.
Baldrick
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 11:35 PMOther than hibsoldie's superb humour, this is depressing. That 8-0 aggregate scoreline must make it one of the most disastrous weekends ever for Edinburgh. I thought Hearts and M'Well would pretty much be equals and it would have been a great contest. I also thought Hibs might be able to take advantage of Celtic complacency and possibly get a result to herald a new dawn. How wrong can you be. Can't be any worse this weekend, can it? Very glad were not playing M'Well in midweek.
ferguson's rocket
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:47 PM#48 + 49 apt name. ... the team you 'support' nearly doesn't exist! .. ... ....
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:24 PMNine in a row springs to mind too.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:23 PM46 The team you support are nothing more than best of a poor bunch, had gers not went into toosh they'd have win the league once again, celtic have never really got near to the teddybears since 1967.
MrHibs07-1973
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:16 PMComment removed by moderator
ferguson's rocket
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:08 PMif i'd known celtic would be playing at 50% i would obviously have adjusted my score prediction... decimated rather than massacred i would say... we got much the same though tactically poor rather than poor poor... Hearts and hibs... bald men not even arguing over a comb, rather, arguing about where Is the comb !?? plenty games left though... well... for us anyway,,
MrHibs07-1973
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:08 PMComment removed by moderator
BASHABIGOT
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:46 PM41, shirley, if you can't act like a man then leave the men to talk.
BASHABIGOT
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:39 PM39 Eeyore, a crooner ?? throw anything you want at me,any name slur anything but please PLEASE don't call me a hibby
Judas
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:35 PMTime for hibs to look at the goalkeepers again!. Stack had another shocker.
MrHibs07-1973
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:35 PMComment removed by moderator
MrHibs07-1973
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:32 PMComment removed by moderator
Monkey Spanner
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:29 PMBASHER WHO TF,are you getting me mixed up with, you are a crooner, a sad crooner, the only kick from life is sitting typing with the 1 finger,
BASHABIGOT
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 09:16 PM28 mr ireland, as expected you have no answer, greetin faced bairn. as for the deviant donkey at 33 doocot hibby now is it ? thought you were the gunner hibby ? sick of being the punchbag there too ? is it true that you've been battered about that much you've swallowed more blood than dracula ??
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