Motherwell 1-0 Hibs: No need to panic insists Hogg

IT'S all beginning to fray a bit at the edges for Hibs, three successive defeats in the space of just six days putting a growing question mark against the Easter Road outfit's ability to fulfil the stated goal of manager John Hughes, namely third place in the SPL title race.

Barely a week ago even that ambition appeared a little under-stated with many wondering if Hughes' players might possibly go on to split the Old Firm as Celtic stuttered and opprobrium was heaped on boss Tony Mowbray.

Fast forward seven days, however, and Glasgow's big two are rapidly disappearing over the horizon as Hughes' assertion that they were uncatchable proves, sadly, all too true.

Now, though, Hibs can leave Rangers and Celtic to determine the destination of the title once more as full focus has to be turned on earning themselves the tag every other side in the League desires, namely "best of the rest".

The single point earned in that spirited fightback against Aberdeen which preceded the defeats by Rangers, St Johnstone and, now, Motherwell, are all that separate Hibs from fourth-placed Dundee United although many have missed the Fir Park outfit stealing in from nowhere, Jamie Murphy's late winner on this occasion making it eight League wins without defeat for Craig Brown's men, a record which has pushed them into fifth spot, a mere five points behind the Capital club.

But while Hibs may appear to be rocking at the moment, with a defence which only a few weeks ago was being proudly hailed as good as any in the country having now shipped 11 goals in just four matches and which has failed to keep a clean sheet in ten, skipper Chris Hogg today declared there was no need for panic.

While admitting confidence had taken an inevitable dip following these setbacks – you have to return to the end of 2007 and start of the following year when Tommy Craig was in temporary charge following John Collins' shock departure to find Hibs losing three successive League games – Hogg said: "When you lose matches confidence does get affected, that's the nature of the game and the human being.

"If you are not winning games, flying along, then only a fool would be as confident as they are when they are winning."

Having said that, though, Hogg insisted that while much seems to have changed, in essence little has, pointing out that rising expectations have probably played a part in amplifying the events of the past week.

"We are there to be shot at," said the defender, "You boys in the media and others outside the club have built us up, and rightly so as we have done all right. But we know it only takes, well, it's three games now, and we are being shot at.

"It's up to us to be big enough, strong enough not to let anything like that affect us as we push on as a football club, and get back to winning football matches because that's what will take us to where we want to go."

And, Hogg declared, not even a nightmare week will be allowed to deflect him and his team-mates from their ultimate goal. He said: "There is still a lot of belief in our camp, nothing has changed in our aspirations and our determination to get us to where we want to be. Here we are, late February, and this is the first real blip if you like. That's testament to our season so far. But we have to respond, take this on the chin and get back to winning ways."

Asked if he felt a loss of form was to blame for Hibs' losses, Hogg demurred, claiming that other than the "massive disappointment" of McDiarmid Park when "we let everyone down", performances had been acceptable, Kenny Miller's injury-time strike at Ibrox putting an unfair reflection on the final scoreline while, he insisted, the players had showed the sort of response required following that hiding by St Johnstone despite losing again at Fir Park.

Like his manager, Hogg was left wondering just what might have happened had Hibs midfielder Liam Miller not been shown the red card following an altercation with Motherwell's Jim O'Brien, the Republic of Ireland star guilty of a tough challenge on his opponent which sparked a furious response not only from him but many of his team-mates including goalkeeper John Ruddy who rushed some 70 yards to become involved.

As always in these situations, opinion was divided, Motherwell boss Brown claiming Miller's tackle could have broken O'Brien's ankle although the player was straight back on his feet with hands raised at the Hibs player who was also man-handled by a number of opponents.

While Miller was sent packing by referee Euan Norris once order was restored, Hibs were left aggrieved at seeing O'Brien only receive a yellow card. Hogg said: "For me, the least said about referees this season the better because you know where it gets you. But to me it was the wrong decision."

Should there have been more than one red card? "If the ref is following the letter of the law there could have been more cards," replied Hogg while Hughes was even more scathing in his assessment of the decisions made. After reviewing the incident several times on the club's "ProZone" system, Hughes, who is about to begin a six match touchline ban of his own, said: "It wasn't a sending off. If that is a sending off Scottish football is in a sorry state.

"It's a booking at most, maybe the players' reaction caught out the referee. Maybe he should have stepped back. I spoke to him at half-time and he said it was a reckless tackle but there was no malice.

"It wasn't studs through anyone, it was more of a side-foot tackle. It didn't merit a straight red and if it is, as I say, Scottish football is struggling."

Again, like his captain, Hughes was reticent to say Norris should have dished out similar punishment to O'Brien for his reaction, adding: "That's up to the referee, you better ask him.

"But I was always taught in football that if you raise your hands there is a chance you will get sent off."

Whatever the merits and the demerits of the argument, whether the presence of Miller, arguably Hibs' most influential player, would have altered the outcome of the game can now only be a matter of conjecture although, as Hogg pointed out, playing for an hour a man short is a tough proposition for any team.

Hibs were just getting a toe-hold in the game when Miller got his marching orders, Motherwell having enjoyed much the better of the opening proceedings, forcing the visitors to adopt a pragmatic approach, aiming to hold onto a point as their ability to get forward to any great effect was neutered.

Hogg said: "I think we showed a bit of passion and desire but going down to ten men made it very difficult to impose ourselves attacking-wise."

If few would disagree Motherwell were possibly worth their win, it was beginning to look as if Hibs would escape with that precious point until John Sutton managed to hold off Sol Bamba and lay O'Brien's pass into the path of Murphy who swept the ball into the net at the far post.

As Hogg reflected: "I thought we dug in well but it was a bit of a blow to lose a goal so late on."