Former Hibs player Patrick Noubissie at the centre of shock sacking

Published on Wednesday 9 December 2009 23:11

FORMER Hibernian midfielder Patrick Noubissie was at the centre of a bizarre FA Cup sacking after his current club Kettering were knocked out of the competition on Tuesday night.

Noubissie, who played for a number of lower division sides in France before having spells at Crewe Alexandra and Swindon Town, joined Hibs on a two-year contract in 2007.

He had a loan spell at Livingston before returning to Hibs only to fall out of favour following the departure of John Collins. He went on loan to Dundee but was released by Hibs at the end of the 2007/08 season and ended up at Kettering.

The 26-year-old played for the Conference side against Leeds United in a second-round replay on Tuesday and the decision to replace him during extra-time has led to the sacking of the club's assistant manager, John Deehan.

Kettering player-manager Lee Harper played the entire 120 minutes against Leeds at Elland Road, leaving his assistant to make tactical changes from the bench.

Deehan brought on Lee Fowler for Noubissie in the 106th minute, two minutes before Leeds scored their first of four goals (they went on to win the game 4-1] in 11 minutes.

Harper, who only became manager last month, is now considering his future after revealing that Deehan was axed for the substitutions he made.

Harper said: "I don't want to walk out on anybody. But I have to stick by my assistant who has been sacked. I don't think it was just."

The 38-year-old added: "Every player says they stand by me so I don't know if there are going to be any players either."

Kettering trailed 1-0 at half-time but forced extra-time thanks to Anthony Elding's second-half equaliser.

And Harper said Deehan deserved the credit for getting Kettering back into the game and pushing the League One leaders so hard before eventually crumbling during the second-half of extra-time.

"Maybe I should let things cool down but if he's been told he's been sacked for the substitutions that he made when we only had three players who could possibly come on the pitch then I'm shell-shocked," said Harper.

"I'm gutted about the result but I need the job, I need the money and the chairman's looked after me in terms of that.

"But I'm a man of principle as well. John's a football man and he knows what he is doing and he got us that result – he got us to 1-1.

"I've been in the game for getting on 20 years, John Deehan has been in the game for longer.

"We are football people and we need to be left to run the team and do what we think is right."

Harper, who joined Kettering as a player in 2008, took over as manager just over three weeks ago after Mark Cooper left for Championship side Peterborough.

One of his first actions was to bring former Norwich and Wigan boss Deehan, 52, in as his assistant.