[hfcbounce]

First half we never got started really but thought in the 2nd half we took control of the game but with no real cutting edge to our play.
Thought Shinnie was our best player on the night as for the Penalty Boyle did not look confident the argument with Holt did not help him Lennon seemed to be shouting at Boyle to take it.

Dundee utd pen looked soft from our seats in the upper stand thought Big Fonts got a touch on the ball through Murrays legs.

Bad result but HFC still on top couple of home games coming up to put things right. Really missed McGinn & Fyvie last night no team can afford to lose 2 players at the same time from their team of the strength & energy they supply.

GGTTH

[0762]

Agreed re Shinnie! I've criticised him in the past but he has played very well in most matches since then. I looked at the tv video replay of the United pk incident - NEVER A PEN, just a side foot block of Murray's attempted shot!!!! Madden delayed his pk decision by about 3 secs, so I wonder if he's done us on an AR's wrong advice?

[HerefordBull]

When you watch the penalties they were both put into the same area of the goal.........of course the big difference is that their keeper didn't get sent the wrong way but waited that fraction of a second later and read Boyle making it look like a pass back. Our keeper had gone and left it to look easy for their player. I used to keep goal a bit myself and always watch penalties with interest and it is amazing how many go down the central third of the goal. Certain keepers have a good record of saving them and in my experience these are ones that don't give the taker any easy choices where to put the kick and don't move early. If the kick is put low with power and into the corner no keeper has a chance anyway.

With regard to awarding the kick for them it is a difficult one for the ref having seen it again on the replays. Fontaine did get the ball but at full speed he is stretching across the player from the "wrong" side and from some angles would look like a foul. I think his delay was he was just giving himself a moment to think about a crucial decision......but again he only gets one view of it. Yes it was soft but we would have taken it no doubt if it had been at the other end.

In general the ref had a good game for us and I don't think we can blame him for our inadequacies in not winning the game. A draw though would have been a fair result. For all our possession and play we still did not create any clear cut chances in front of goal whereas Dundee United did.......great block by McGregor in the first half to divert the ball over the bar.

We need to find someone quickly or get Keatings back who can strike a dead ball for corners and freekicks..........won't go on any further I'll be on my favourite topic....Stevenson...

We are still top of the league and now need to go on a good run in the next 5 games prior to playing Dundee United at ER where I hope we can get some revenge for last night.

GGTTH

[hibeejim21]

A lot of the fans seem really unhappy but i don't think we played badly at all. We deserved at least a point.

Come january i'd like lennon to get some better quality and pace out wide,. We had so many set pieces and corners and no one can produce a decent ball.

[Fredstersafool]

On a brighter note my wee boy made his debut for Hibs today and scored 10 in four games,get down to east mains lads and watch the 2009 and 2010 laddies.

[0762]

Re Stevenson's position, it's been debated before but I must say again I despair watching far too many aimless crosses from a player who has significant space and possession on our left but does not do enough to service our waiting forwards! Agreed re our forward line not being dynamic enough - just watched Celtic's dramatic 3-4 fight back v 'Well and wish we had a fraction of this dynamism up front! Lastly re the 'soft' DU pk, my criticism/frustration re this kinda decision against Hibs centres on the number of stonewall pks that so many refs have denied Hibs during this season compared with this soft one!!!!! It looks as though many refs are primed not to give Hibs easy pk decisions, stonewallers, for some reason and yet our opponents are awarded some real 'stinking pk awards' - as previously commented, 'What gives with this change in interpretation of the FIFA rule'????

[hibeejim21]

I like stevenson,but we all know his crossing is iffy at best.

Lennons sussed that we have 3 decent centre backs so why not play them in their natural positions and get gray and stevo up the park. I still think its the right way for us to play and wish stubbs had used it more. Maybe after january we might be trying it with someone else.