If critics think Stephens will have been scarred by mauling from Celtic, they'll have to think again

Published on Thursday 7 April 2011 13:38

DAVID STEPHENS today admitted his first start for Hibs will be remembered for all the wrong reasons after Celtic smashed the Easter Road outfit's unbeaten seven-match run and ended their hopes of a top-six finish.

But the 19-year-old insisted he'd much rather endure 90 minutes of torment in trying to shackle Hoops strikers Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes than watch helplessly from the sidelines.

Stephens, who had been restricted to just three substitute appearances in a green-and-white shirt since arriving in Edinburgh from Norwich City last summer, found himself pitched into action after Francis Dickoh picked up an injury during the final Capital derby of the season three days earlier.

However, within 19 minutes title-chasing Celtic had shattered any hopes Calderwood and his players may have had of repeating their shock win at the other end of Glasgow earlier in the season.

The Hoops were able to hit cruise control, goals from ex-Hibs hitman Stokes and Hooper having all but ensured Neil Lennon's side would be leapfrogging arch-rivals Rangers to again take pole position in the race for the SPL title. Hooper added a third before the interval, prompting recollections of Celtic's 9-0 humiliation of Aberdeen earlier in the season and such was their dominance that Hibs goalkeeper Mark Brown admitted afterwards he knew Calderwood's side were in for a long, long night as he denied the former Scunthorpe striker before a minute of the game was over.

A combination of the Glasgow side taking their foot off the pedal and Hibs rallying saw Liam Miller claim a second-half penalty to avert any fears of an embarrassment similar to that suffered by the Dons.

But in admitting the opening 45 minutes in particular had been somewhat torrid, Stephens, who could boast just 54 minutes of first-team action, 31 of them as a makeshift centre-forward, prior to Wednesday night, insisted he wouldn't have wished to have been anywhere else.

The Welsh Under-21 internationalist said: "Celtic Park is a daunting place, an intimidating stadium but once the whistle goes it's like any other game, goals at either end and 11 players from each side on the pitch.

"I want to play against the best, Hooper and Stokes are two of the best strikers in Scotland so of course it was difficult against them. Obviously it wasn't what I wanted for my full debut, it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons but we didn't defend well enough in the first half.

"It was difficult, though, to defend against their pace and movement, the way they played little one-twos around our box and their third goal coming as it did before half-time killed the game. Credit to our boys, though, we didn't give in when we could simply have just crumbled."

As chastening an experience as it might have been, Stephens insisted he and his team-mates would learn from it, pointing out that Hibs' back four boasted in himself, skipper Paul Hanlon and Callum Booth, three players aged 20 and under while further forward both David Wotherspoon and Victor Palsson were of similar ages.

He said: "We are young and a bit inexperienced which I think showed at times but there were also positives. It was a learning curve for all of us. You want to pit your wits against the best and Celtic are probably one of the best in the country. They've got a really strong squad as you could see from their bench the other night.

"You get to 70 minutes and are starting to feel tired when they bring on Kris Commons and Freddie Ljungberg. But you just have to stick at it. Of course it is hard being two down in 19 minutes but I didn't think for one second about what had happened there to Aberdeen. You have to remain focused, look to do your job properly and try not to lose another goal."

Stephens and his team-mates were "treated" to a video analysis of their shortcomings by Calderwood and his backroom staff yesterday but now, he insisted, full attention is being paid to putting together another unbeaten run similar to the one just ended by Celtic.

Tomorrow's trip to Pittodrie will be followed by a visit from basement outfit Hamilton before Hibs prepare for a post-split programme which will see them play, if the league table remains as it is today - the Dons, St Mirren, Accies, St Johnstone and Inverness Caley again. The dates for those games have yet to be set but it's a schedule which will hardly set the pulses racing amongst the Hibs support which had gone into this season with high hopes of at least emulating last year's fourth-place finish.

But as disappointing as that might be, Stephens insisted Calderwood's players - many of whom will be departing the club once the action comes to an end - can do no more than try to finish the season in as high a position as possible.

He said: "Sixth place has gone so now we have to look at next highest, seventh. I don't know if the boss will use the remaining games to blood one or two younger players; he has high standards and he'll want to show the fans we are a winning team and will want to see us finish on a high.

"He told me he thought I'd done okay against Celtic so hopefully I'll be involved again tomorrow. I think we feel we ‘owe' Aberdeen one after their wins over us earlier in the season. It won't be easy being away from home but we want to put another unbeaten run together starting from now."