Why Hibs boss Nick Montgomery is still fuming about referee 'tackle'; Dylan Vente on thinking Rangers played at Hampden

A referee impedes a player who is attempting to latch onto a loose ball and the opposition break up-field to score. Sound familiar?

Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery preparing for his side's Viaplay Cup semi-final v Aberdeen: don't talk to him about referees 'tackling' players (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

It might. But try not to mention this in the vicinity of Nick Montgomery. Woops, too late. The Hibs manager says he doesn't remember the name of the referee involved in the incident to which he is referring, which came during an FA Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Sheffield United, where he gave such sterling service over 12 years. It wasn’t Kevin Clancy, if that helps.

It seems the rules were the same in 2003 as they are now. Referees are permitted to take players out as long as they don’t touch the ball.

Montgomery is adamant. “100 per cent the game would have been stopped now,” he said, which is curious, since a high-profile incident that occurred just three days ago, during the Premiership clash between Dundee and Rangers, suggested otherwise.

Referee Graham Poll indicates he has awarded the goal despite having impeded Sheffield United midfielder Michael Tonge in the lead-up to Freddie Ljungberg's winning strike for Arsenal in the 2003 FA Cup semi-final (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)

But Montgomery is a serious-looking fellow. Best not mention that either. Not until he's stopped unloading, at least. "I'm laughing now," he said, grimly. "But it definitely wasn’t funny on the day."

Welcome to a press conference-cum-therapy session at Hibs' training centre at East Mains. It’s taken just over 20 years for the 42-year-old Montgomery to find anything amusing bout losing two semi-finals with Neil Warnock's side in the space of four short months, not that he is actually laughing. The one that truly stings was against Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, understandably so.

Add in a play-off final defeat the same season and it’s plain to see why Montgomery has taken time to process things. One suspects Warnock is still sitting stewing somewhere in his Cornwall eyrie. The recently sacked Huddersfield Town manager promised his former player that if Hibs negotiate today's Viaplay Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, then he will head up for next month's final.

"Fingers crossed we can do that and I will send him a ticket,” said Montgomery. What a sight that would be to see this pair hugging beneath the Hampden lights if Hibs can cross the next hurdle and lift the trophy. But we are getting too far ahead of ourselves.

Hibs striker Dylan Vente is on the road to Hampden - he initially thought Rangers played there (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

No one remembers a losing semi-finalist. Montgomery even claims not to remember the name of the referee he believes robbed them of the chance to reach a potentially winnable final against Gordon Strachan's Southampton. "If you Google it and watch it was unbelievable when you look back," he said.

Doing as instructed helps refresh the memory, and it’s true – it's outrageous. Graham Poll, for it is him, steps into the path of Montgomery’s fellow midfielder Michael Tonge just as he seems ready to intercept possession in the Arsenal half. The opposition sweep up field. And while the ball takes longer to be poked into the net by Freddie Ljungberg than on Wednesday, when Dundee’s Luke McCowan was impeded by Clancy and Rangers charged up field to score their fourth goal in the 5-0 win, it’s clear Poll’s inadvertent involvement was pivotal.

But, as in the incident earlier this week, the referee just shrugged his shoulders and waved play on. David Seaman later pulled off an early contender for save of the 21st century to claw away Sheffield United striker Paul Peschisolido’s header and preserve Arsenal’s narrow lead. They beat Southampton 1-0 in the final. Sheffield United, meanwhile, lost the Championship play-off final 3-0 to Wolves as a season of near misses reached a heart-breaking denouement.

They were also beaten by Liverpool in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier in the year, having won the first leg 2-1 at Bramall Lane. The second leg went to extra-time.

“I think we played 65 games that season, a lot of games in one season, a lot of ups and ultimately we finished empty handed,” reflected Montgomery, who had to travel as far as Australia to win his first major trophy, as manager of Central Coast Mariners.

“But I take great experience from those games and beating the big teams at Bramall Lane,” he added. “Neil (Warnock) was all about team spirit and camaraderie. I’m really happy we’ve got a lot of that here and that is one thing I have been impressed with.”

Montgomery just needs this evening’s referee, John Beaton, to try to avoid tackling a Hibs player. He could also do with Dylan Vente finding his goalscoring touch again. After a run of three goals in three games in September, the Dutch striker has now gone five games without finding the net. If Vente strikes the ball as well as he can conjure up an image, Hibs will be on easy street at Hampden.

“As a striker, sometimes scoring goals is like ketchup, you press on the bottle and everything falls out at once!" he said. "And now the ketchup is empty...

“It’s not like I have had many chances, so it is not on my mind," the 24-year-old added. "I know if I get a chance in front of goal I have to be ready and have confidence in myself. That’s a little thing I think about more now, how I get those chances. That is what I’m working on now. I know if I get the ball now, I need to be ready.”

He also needs to know which stadium he is at. He has visited Hampden once before, for a heart test shortly after signing for Hibs. “I actually thought it was the Rangers stadium!” he said. “Two days later someone here told me it was actually Hampden. I just went there to the sports clinic to get the scan, but I didn’t get inside the changing rooms or go to have a look at the pitch. It wasn’t possible for me to go and have a little look. I only really saw it from outside.

“I’m really looking forward to finally getting on the pitch and playing there. Let’s see what it brings.”