This is how it feels ( aberdeen 05 10 19)

When I set off for Aberdeen this morning I certainly didn’t envisage returning home disappointed but the truth is that disappointment is my overriding emotion. This was a game we could and should have won which in itself is a surprising thing to say given our poor league season to date.

With the suspension of Ryan Porteous served the big lad was restored into central defence in place of Adam Jackson, out with a concussion related injury. The only other change saw Middleton drop to the bench with Horgan taking his place in what looked like a 4 2 3 1 formation. For their part, Aberdeen made several changes in the wake of their 5-0 drubbing away to Rangers and so essentially this was two teams yet to find their feet.

The strong wind made for pretty difficult playing conditions but Hibs created an early chance when Allan and Horgan combined to free Doidge in the box. Sadly the big striker delayed his shot, allowing Lewis to close him down. This wouldn’t be the last time in the game that the Hibs striker and Aberdeen keeper came face to face. As usual the hosts were happy to give Allan a hard time and when the Hibs man was fouled around twenty five yards from goal, Mallan stepped aside to let James try his luck with the effort flying just wide, though Lewis looked like he had it covered.

With both sides struggling to master the conditions, chances were few and far between although the Dons created a chance from a corner but the headed effort was well over the bar. Another free kick gave Mallan a chance but Lewis collected the effort before Aberdeen broke downfield and Main flashed a low drive across the box but there were no takers. Lewis Ferguson seemed immune to the ire of a referee who should really have pulled him up for ‘persistent fouling’ but these challenges went unpunished. The same Dons player saw a feeble effort collected by Maxwell and then Hedges fired wide from distance just on the half time whistle. It hadn’t been a great half but I felt Hibs were the better side.

In a cracking start to the second half, Porteous gave the visitors the lead. It came from a well worked corner that witnessed a shot from James hitting a Dons defender before landing at the feet of Porteous and the big fella wasted no time in drilling the ball past Lewis. Hibs had the upper hand now and the home fans were not happy. Their mood was not helped when moments later Doidge escaped his marker, was through on goal but once again dallied and allowed Lewis to block the effort.

The home stands at Pittodrie were silenced around the hour mark when a lunging challenge by Main on Mallan saw the Dons striker getting a straight red card. It was a foolish challenge but the referee, rightly in my view, deemed it to be both aggressive and out of control. Doidge was through again to run on to a Hallberg pass but once again Lewis thwarted the Hibs man. I said it at the match and I’ll say it again here, Kamberi would not have wasted those chances.

Aberdeen made a couple of changes by bringing on Gallagher and McGinn and before long the ten men had tested Maxwell through Gallagher and hit the post through McGinn. For reasons only our players could explain, we dropped off and allowed the ten men to take the upper hand. I do not believe for one minute that this happened under instruction from Heckingbottom and indeed every time I glanced at the bench he appeared to be roaring at his players to move ten or fifteen yards up the pitch.

Hibs did get forward again though and a fabulous pass from Stevenson put Doidge through on goal but with Scott Allan waiting totally unmarked in the middle, Doidge decided to go it alone and was once again thwarted by Lewis. For me that particular failure to score was unforgivable and Hibs paid the penalty when the Dons equalised with around five minutes left. It’s worth noting that the goal came from a cross and was headed home by Cosgrove. It’s also worth mentioning that in the lead up to that goal, Cosgrove kicked out at Middleton right in front of the assistant referee who flagged immediately. Cosgrove had already been booked and to my mind should have seen red but instead Don Robertson decided to lecture Paul Hanlon for complaining about the challenge. Last week I suggested Kevin Clancy had bottled out of the Ntcham incident and this week the bottler award goes to Don Robertson.

We were now in the ridiculous position of holding on for a point and only stout defending kept the hosts out. The action was not yet over however as deep into time added on, Lewis Ferguson’s luck ran out when he was shown a straight red for a quite shocking tackle on Mallan. From the resultant free kick Hibs broke down the right and Middleton cut the ball back to the eighteen yard line but the onrushing Kamberi fired wildly over and the game was finished.

As I said at the beginning my overriding emotion is disappointment as I felt we deserved the win but when your principal striker spurns no fewer than four chances you are always going to struggle to take all three points. When the final whistle blew a fair number of Hibs fans booed and so showed their own disappointment I guess but cast your mind back a few weeks when it was being widely predicted we’d go out of the cup and get horsed by Celtic and Aberdeen. Surely some credit has been earned by the actual outcomes?

The players

Maxwell – I don’t think he had very much to do during the game if I’m honest in making a couple of routine saves and a good few occasions of coming out to claim high balls.

James – Was getting pelters from some folk behind me but I thought he did ok. Yes, he doesn’t close down opposition players as quickly as I’d like but I feel his confidence is growing.

Porteous – A warrior and a Hibee warrior at that. Ryan was immense throughout and although it was probably him that Cosgrove got the better of for the equaliser I cannot see past him for my man of the match award.

Hanlon – Paul found Cosgrove a handful at times but Main caused him no problems whatsoever and over the piece I felt he did his job well. I’d love to know what Don Robertson said to him following the referee’s bottling incident.

Stevenson – Defended stoutly and got forward plenty. One superb first half cross was begging to be put away and his through ball for one of the many Doidge misses was sublime.

Hallberg – I thought he had a great game and his confidence is growing together with his fitness. He and Vela combine well and I see a good partnership growing.

Vela – Some of the comments regarding his performance against Celtic were baffling to me as he did then what he did today, got about the park, always made himself available for a pass and tackled when the need arose.

Mallan – He’ll be bruised tonight having been put up in the air by both Main and Ferguson. An industrious performance from Stevie.

Allan – For me we are still to see the Scott Allan who excited us in his previous stints at Hibs. One or two trademark passes but too often caught in possession for my liking.

Horgan – I really don’t see what Daryl offers to the team. Other than one good pass to Doidge early in the game he was pretty well anonymous for the remainder of his time on the pitch. His annoying habit of going towards an opponent as if to challenge, only to then do this kinda weird sideways dance in front of him, gets right on my thruppnies.

Doidge – What can I say about a striker that has four gilt edged chances to score and hits the keeper with every one? Nothing good is the answer.

Middleton – Replaced Horgan but offered little more than the Irishman.

Kamberi – Should have been on earlier and as I suggested earlier, had Kamberi been given the chances missed by Doidge we’d have won the game at a canter.

Newell – Helped us defend when ten man Aberdeen were pushing hard but I don’t recall anything of note about his performance.

Hecky – A few booed him when he came to the fans at the end but I have to say I think that was unfair. His selection and tactics would have worked a treat if Doidge had done his job.

The fans – A good following but I am of the view that there are some complete loop jobs in our away support. Why travel 120 miles to spend ninety minutes shouting obscenities at the Dons support?

Don Robertson – I’ve seen worse refereeing performances but his bottling out of giving Cosgrove a deserved second yellow was completely baffling.