Murphy’s law

Supersub strikes late to halt Hibs’ losing streak

SCOTT ALLAN and Jamie Murphy have largely been bit-part players at Hibernian this term. When the pressure is on, though, that’s when natural in-built talent and technique stands strong. And that’s why their return to the fore yesterday coincided with the Easter Road club’s season being dragged back from the edge of a cliff.

When Allan, in particular, was brought on for Jamie Gullan with 19 minutes to go, Hibs were laying waste to ten-man St Johnstone’s goal — and really getting no joy at all in their attempts to cancel out a first-half opener from Liam Gordon which went in off Hibs defender Ryan Porteous.

Kevin Nisbet had seen two efforts disallowed by referee Euan Anderson. Chris Cadden had smacked the bar. Zander Clark was pulling off save after save. Even though the stupid, needless sending-off of Craig Bryson at the end of the first 45 had put the home side behind the eight-ball, it looked like they might, somehow, be about to get away with it.

Until Allan intervened. His incisive, forceful ball into Murphy allowed his fellow substitute to set up Nisbet for the equaliser. And with four minutes left on the clock, he showed real calmness in the eye of the storm to find Murphy again with a slide-rule ball across the area and let him bring a run of five straight league defeats to an ecstatic end for Jack Ross’s men.

The importance of the victory cannot be denied. Had Hibs lost, this campaign, which started with talk of them actually launching an unlikely bid for the title, would have seen them slump to within two points of the relegation play-off slot.

As it is, they are top six again with something, at least, to build on. For long stages, though, it looked like this just might not be their day.

Nisbet first had the ball in the net in the sixth minute when he connected with a flick-on from Josh Campbell and held off his man to put an angled effort past goalkeeper Clark.

However, assistant referee Drew Kirkland had raised his flag for offside and the effort was disallowed. Nisbet certainly made no secret of his displeasure to the official, though, and it did look like a tight call.

With Hibs enjoying the best of a scrappy first half, Campbell forced a straightforward save from Clark while, at the other end, Michael O’Halloran put an effort just wide of Matt Macey’s right-hand post.

However, the breakthrough came for Saints with five minutes of the opening period remaining.

Following a sliced clearance from Paul Hanlon that went out for a corner, Ali Crawford’s initial ball was headed back out to him on the left-hand side. The former Hamilton midfielder’s second attempt at creating havoc was far more accurate, though, and picked out the towering presence of Gordon.

The big centre-back put in a strong downward header that beat

Macey and it appeared to clip off Porteous before crossing the goal-line.

So close to the interval, it seemed self-evident that Saints should seek to take the sting out of things, ensure they didn’t do anything stupid. Sadly,

Bryson couldn’t see it.

The midfielder had already been booked on 27 minutes by referee Anderson for what looked a nasty and needless little tackle on Porteous in the centre of the field. The Hibs defender wasn’t happy about it and made a point of complaining bitterly to Anderson before the yellow card was shown.

Bryson should have known the incident had left him walking a tightrope. When he went in late on Joe Newell in first-half stoppage time, there were few complaints when Anderson reached for his pocket again and sent him off for a second bookable offence.

Callum Davidson had finally given Eetu Vertainen his first start since signing him from Ilves in September, but the Finnish centre-forward was sacrificed at the break — being replaced by Cammy MacPherson — as the manager formed a new game plan.

It was no great surprise. Vertainen tried hard, but he just looked a bit ungainly. Of all the questions that exist over St Johnstone this term, he doesn’t look like the answer to any of them.

O’Halloran was given the thankless task of leading the line on his own as the home side endeavoured to see out the game at a numerical disadvantage and it looked a futile one given the way the second 45 started.

Cadden smacked the crossbar with a powerful drive from the right-hand side of the area early on and, just after the hour mark, Nisbet beat the Saints rearguard and keeper Clark again — only to be denied by the officials for the second time in the game.

Josh Doig delivered an excellent ball in from the left and the whistle had clearly been blown — for an infringement by Gullan, apparently — before Nisbet climbed above his man and headed home.

Murphy, on for Paul McGinn, had claims for a penalty turned down shortly after entering the play and was then denied by an excellent point-blank save from Clark on 69 minutes after moving onto a knockdown from Nisbet and unleashing a fierce volley.

By that stage, Hibs’ overall control of the game had turned into an onslaught. Doig saw a low cross-cum-shot blocked by Clark’s outstretched left leg, but, just when a little composure was required amid the maelstrom, Allan, sent on for Gullan 19 minutes from time, intervened.

Hibs’ leveller with eight minutes to go was a wonderful passage of one-touch football. At the end of the move, a sharp pass into the area from Allan was laid off first-time by Murphy into Nisbet’s path and his crisp, curling effort past Saints keeper Clark’s full-length dive was exquisite.

With Saints having been breached in the face of relentless pressure, a winner for the visitors felt almost inevitable. It arrived on 86 minutes and Allan’s cleverness and technique, again, created the opening.

He performed a pirouette, almost, on the left touchline to create space and picked out Murphy on the right side of the area with a slide-rule pass that made its way through a number of bodies in a busy area.

From there, it was easy pickings. Murphy, who has had his problems with knee trouble this term, controlled the ball, slotted it home and sparked wild celebrations on the touchline behind the goal.

Porteous should have made it 3-1 at the death when being played through by Nisbet and smashing the ball off the bar.