Another loss - but some promise after break

Saturday 1^st December

vs Hudson Hibs 1-6

Team: Ciarán; Ben, Joe, Tom, Elliot; Adam, Ollie, Caleb, Josh; Danny O, Jacob. Subs: Cormac, Danny D.

These are hard days for the boys as they went down to another heavy defeat, although they showed much greater belief in the second half.

They were a goal down after two minutes as, having cleared the ball once, they allowed Hibs to pass through them with ease. A minute later Elliot’s clearance off the line saved their blushes with the Hibs forward alone at the near post.

Relief was coming mostly down the left side, with Ben feeding Adam down the line. Joe’s quick free kick to the same man was clever, but Adam put his shot wide as the forwards streamed into the box. Adam and Jacob then both went for the same Caleb corner as they finally put Hibs under some pressure.

Ollie and Josh swapped roles to try and bolster the midfield but, having got away with stopping for an offside decision that never came, they fell further behind in the 16^th minute. Lady Luck is not smiling on them at the moment: Joe thought he had done enough to put the forward off but a touch turned into a lob that deceived Ciarán.

The keeper is suffering with every mistake being exposed at the moment and dropping a free kick after 21 minutes, allowing Hibs to extend their lead further, left him cursing his error. He could, with some justification, ask why the first three players to respond to his spill were Hibs’ forwards as the defence again stood and watched.

Cormac and Danny D came on at half time to play down each flank, replacing Tom and Danny O, and each played their part in an improved display after the break.

Danny D used the space on the right well, rounding the full back and putting in a series of dangerous crosses. On the left, Cormac looked to hold the ball up and link up with his midfield teammates as they came forward. The boys moved the ball around quicker in the second period but struggled to penetrate as Hibs held them at bay on the edge of their box.

A clean take from a swerving shot in the 35^th minute restored Ciarán’s confidence and he went on to pull off a string of fine saves during the half. The defence still looked easily exposed, though, and so were grateful for their keeper’s heroics. Joe played his part, too – a shot on the break in the 47^th minute was only parried by Ciarán and the centre back somehow got back to incredibly hook it off the line.

The boys had been denied a lifeline a minute earlier when Caleb, after Cormac had slid it into his path, rattled a shot onto the crossbar. Jacob was quickly on hand to head home the rebound only to be denied by a strange offside decision. After that and Joe’s heroics, it was a cruel blow to concede again in the 49^th minute as Ciarán pulled off another great save only for the rebound to be tapped home with a hint of offside about the forward’s position.

Cormac shot narrowly wide as they attacked straight from the restart but Hibs promptly went back up the other end and scored as a simple ball took out the midfield and defence and the forward rounded Ciarán to score.

Danny Don - Man of the Match

They pulled a goal back as Ollie headed home Josh’s corner with 5 minutes left and nearly had a second as Jacob nodded Caleb’s free kick just past the post but Hibs scored their sixth goal just before the end as the boys failed to deal with the loose ball in the box.

The tentative display in the first half was, to their credit, replaced by a better effort as they responded to the half-time challenge to, at the very least, make the second half a contest. The substitutes both played their part in this and the Man of the Match award went to Danny D for his penetration down the right wing.