[0762]

Well most of our players have had a welcome rest for a couple of weeks apart from Boyly and Kevin Nisbet. Paul McGinn briefly played for Scotland in Vienna and well done on his international debut. He'll still be as fresh and "raring to go" as the rest. Boyly injured with a hamstring pull and I'm sure most Hibs fans not surprised re this disappointing injury to our best player happening while playing for Australia! This could poss open the door" to young Daniel Mackay - wait n see how Jack Ross views this position. I'd luv to "turn them over" big-time - a bit of "pay back" after what happened in that Scot Cup semi-final re the pen that never should've been awarded. Anyway, that's past history and I reckon Ross will tighten our defensive line and mid defensive positions. However, I want to see scope for an "out ball" and getting at their defence. We are top of the Scot Prem and we wanna stay there for as long as we can hold that position. Looks like Kevin Nisbet will be our strike option up front, but we want ample support given to him to test a defence that can be penetrated using the right attacking options. My main caveat is beware of Mackay-Steven who has a habit of scoring against Hibs apart from one instance at ER where he crocked his ankle playing for Dundee United and out injured for months. It always frustrated to see so many Hibs managers not being aware of said threat and deploying a marking system to "nail him" or mark him out of the game.

GGTTH

[HerefordBull]

Hopefully Boyle will be 100% and as usual should be a tight, scrappy game, coming down to a bit of luck and who is up for it and wants it more. Just lately that has been the JT's, so its up to Ross to make sure we are at it..................not something that he has been particularly good at in all the big games he has been involved with so far!

For this sort of game players shouldn't need a lift but from past experience we seem to struggle at times to raise ourselves in the big games

GGTTH

[0762]

This is a fairly different Hibs team compared with seasons gone by. Hopefully the guys "go positive" and take up the challenge with an attitude there is nowt to fear as well as their manager, Neilson, being a bit of a "lucky mascot" for Hibs down the years to the point where many Hertz fans played a big part in getting rid of him.

[hibeejim21]

Our record there is not great.....Neither is Jacks record in big games.

Getting the 3 points is going to be hard.

[0762]

That is exactly the challenge of a big game like this one - to win albeit being a testy fixture. IMO this match is about the here n now and a belief in the ability of this Hibs side, currently top of the league, continuing with its fine form in a match that looks like a "stick-on" draw based on the team stats (plus nobody wants to lose it) leading in to this confrontation on Sunday. Having previously played a lotta footie at a decent level in years gone by, I expect all Hibs players (and manager) to embrace this fixture positively and try to win it in front of a sell-out Hibs away support that is certainly not coming to the PBH to observe a lame performance. The players know the importance of this derby match, how tense it can become and what is expected. C'mon Hibs - let them worry about us and what we can do to them rather than the other way around!!

GGTTH

[HerefordBull]

Good points 0762. At the end of the game, win, draw or loss I just want to think the players gave it their all and "turned up" ............a feeling I didn't get in most of the big games last season .

GGTTH

[BouncingHibees]

Rumour is JDH and MacGennis are out with covid, outbreak in training last week.

[0762]

FT and as suspected in my previous thread, a "stick-on" draw - 0-0. A good game all the same with lotsa good footie on display. Gordon sadly denying Hibs the 3 pts in the final quarter when they noticeably "ran out of puff" and ideas - very similar to their match with the Dons in a 1-1 drawn game they deserved to lose and when Gordon given the MOTM award again - a good summary of them at the mo is "an average team with a great goalie". However, they created some vg scoring opps as well and a huge bonus for Hibs is that Matt Macey was outstanding and as good as Gordon this afternoon to deny them winning this match - DELIGHTED TO SEE THE RISE OF A NEW STAR FOR HIBS AND HE IS A GOALIE! I must say I can't figure out how Kevin Nisbet or Magennis didn't score the winning goal towards the end although one of Nisbet's volleys really deserved to be the winner - it would've beaten Gordon "all ends up", but sadly passed the wrong side of his post. The end outcome is that Hibs have sadly been replaced at the top of the Scot Prem by Rangers after Saint Johnstone's capitulation v them after taking the lead. One of my bugbears re Hibs is their awful deliveries from set piece positions, corners and FKs!! Newell and Magennis absolutely "mince", Newell more so than the latter!! Can I get a PT coaching job at East Mains TC Jack Ross??? That side of our game plan is totally crap and it shouldn't be like that. What do they do on the training pitch?? Anyway, Hibs still unbeaten and played reasonably well - stood up to what Hertz had to throw at them esp with the "Harry Potter" financed lad/striker, Boyce, "earning his corn" and having a decent game. Hibs started very well and latterly their counter attacks worked fairly well - a pity we didn't take some of the vg scoring opps at the "tail end" of this match to win it. We move on.

GGTTH

[HerefordBull]

Could have gone either way with both goalies having excellent games. Neither side got that lucky break to give them the 3 points and a draw is probably fair with Hearts probably more disappointed not to take advantage of being at home in a raucous atmosphere. Pretty good advert for Scottish Football at the end of the day.

GGTTH

[0762]

Yep. The only thing missing was goals TBF. Definitely not a boring match and SkySport officials will be pleased with the overall standard of this match.