Hibs History: Cormack's display fires Forest interest

He was also watched for the third time in five days by Nottingham Forest, whose manager Matt Gillies then had a long chat with Hibs counterpart Bob Shankly after the game without even mentioning Cormack!

Cormack eventually did go south to the City Ground for 80,000 in March of the following year.

Forest were relegated, however and Liverpool manager Bill Shankly, Bob's brother, paid them 110,00 for Cormack in July 1972.

Before the St Johnstone game Cormack had been a major doubt due to bouts of sickness at training but he was persuaded to turn out and made the difference as Hibs overturned the form book. Saints had sealed a European spot – something which Hibs were more used to – and Hibs had gone nine league games without a win.

The Perth side, however, suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Hibees and only their second defeat in 12 games.

Hibs made a whirlwind start with three chances and the first goal – all in the first minute.

Both Jimmy O'Rourke and Cormack were denied before another Cormack effort was headed out and he bundled the ball over the line. Hibs failed to extend their lead and Gordon Marshall was forced into several fine saves by the Saints.

Joe McBride then missed from a foot after the deadly duo of O'Rourke and Cormack had combined to set him up.

Just a minute later, though, O'Rourke did double Hibs' lead, smashing a right-foot shot into the net after a Cormack header down. Marshall was "immense" to prevent Saints from getting a foothold in the second half and Hibs had a lucky escape when McCarry crashed a shot against the bar.

Cormack made sure of victory after 68 minutes by running in from the left to score with a low shot despite claims of offside from the Perth defenders. He then began the 80th minute move for the final goal with a brilliant pass to O'Rourke who, in turn, crossed for McBride to make amends for his earlier miss by netting.

Gud day, bad day

THESE were indeed strange times at Easter Road, manager Bobby Williamson having departed for Plymouth and the man earmarked to replace him watching from the main stand but yet to agree a deal.

Icelandic manager Gudjon Thordarson had been selected to take over, at least to the end of the season, but the deal had stumbled financially, Hibs still unclear what their resources would be for the new season.

The former Stoke City and Barnsley boss took no part in proceedings, not even visiting the players in the dressing room beforehand or, having seen Derek Riordan's 18th goal of the season earn Hibs a narrow victory, attending the after-match press conference to share his thoughts on this puzzling turn of events.

The reason, apparently, was that talks had not yet been concluded with the Icelandic coach.

Hibs were clearly irked that news of their novel move had been leaked south of the border; club spokesman David Forsyth, when pressed on what was going on, explaining that with a difference of 35,000 for each place in the SPL table when the season drew to a close, there was still much, at least in financial terms, for the Easter Road outfit to play for. Chief executive Rod Petrie had stressed the importance of maintaining seventh place in the table without explaining the financial reasons for so doing but having seen Hibs relinquish that position after defeat at Kilmarnock the previous week, there must have been concern that the side might slip even further.

Petrie was not at Easter Road to explain the club's thinking, missing only his second game in six-and-a-half years by being away "on club business".

In Petrie's absence, it was left to Forsyth to explain: "We don't want the season to fizzle away to nothing so we felt it was important to bring somebody in to steady the ship." As it turned out, Thordarson had a dramatic change of Heart on the Monday following this game, saying he no longer wanted the job.

Hibs bullied out of stride by Clyde

HIBS were on course to finish runners-up but they toiled against a Clyde side who should not have been able to live with them.

But it was the Glasgow club who took the lead in this Shawfield clash when Boyle scored with a 20-yard shot which swung inside Jim McArthur's left-hand post after 22 minutes.

Winger Arthur Duncan was Hibs' best attacker but had to suffer some tough tackling on his forward forays from a Bully Wee side described as "rugged, quick and hard-hitting".

Alec Edwards and Alex Cropley were anonymous in the first half and Edwards was replaced at half-time.

Hibs as a whole made no real impact until, with 13 minutes to go, Joe Harper was put clear by John Blackley and struck a left-footed shot past Cairney in the Clyde goal.

That finally brought the Easter Road side to life and the relagation-haunted Clyde players had to defend corner after corner in the closing stages.

But just as it looked as though Hibs must grab both points, the final whistle rang out.