Hampden hopefuls aim to avoid another fine mess

Nick Rodger

Golf Correspondent

Monday 4 March 2013

The dreaded phrase "it's Hibernian's year" is being trotted out again.

Kilmarnock 2 Hibernian 4

Custom byline text:

Nick Rodger at Rugby Park

If their remaining opponents in the William Hill Scottish Cup are as generous as Kilmarnock were then it might just be. The comedy stylings of Cammy Bell and Momo Sissoko at least proved that Laurel & Hardy can still get work in Ayrshire these days but it was no laughing matter for the Kilmarnock double act.

The duo's disastrous defensive ditherings gifted Hibs two crucial goals as Pat Fenlon's side, bolstered by Leigh Griffiths' first senior hat-trick, took another step towards plundering the prize for the first time since 1902 and erasing the bitter memories of last year's cup final trouncing by old foes Hearts."We embarrassed everyone involved with the club last year and we have to rectify that," said Griffiths as he reflected on last season's 5-1 hammering at Hampden. "It was the biggest derby there will be and for us it was a shambles, my worst feeling in football. We know how much winning the cup means for these fans."The midweek meeting between these sides in the league had reached a frenzied finale, with three goals in the closing five minutes, and we did not have to wait too long for an opener here. With the sprightly Griffiths breathing down his neck, Jeroen Tesselaar was forced into a hasty clearance and when David Wotherspoon's interception flew back over the exposed Kilmarnock defensive line, the alert Griffiths darted in to slide a tidy finish underneath Bell.The Edinburgh side had the game by the scruff of the neck and looked likely to dish out some capital punishment to a Kilmarnock bunch that already resembled condemned men as they struggled to perform the basics of this roon ba' game. Out of the blue, however, a ragged Kilmarnock were given a stay of execution and they restored parity on 26 minutes. William Gros sent in a bouncing volley from the edge of box that Ben Williams could only parry and James Dayton came charging in to thump the rebound into the roof of the net.That galvanised the home team for a spell but the suicidal tendencies at the back returned and Kilmarnock paid a hefty price as half-time loomed. It was not just a catalogue of errors that led to their downfall, more an encyclopedia. For some reason, Bell casually threw out the ball to Sissoko, who was still standing in his own penalty area. With Griffiths and Matt Done hovering about like vultures, caution had to be the watchword but Sissoko decided to bobble a pass straight back to his keeper. It was a calamitous choice, but Bell's decision to take a touch instead of lashing it to safety was even worse. Griffiths nipped in and while he went sprawling amid the fankle, the scraps were gobbled up by Done. The moments of madness kept on coming after the resumption as the Kilmarnock players continued to throw away possession through some quite bewildering thought processes. Hibs, however, could not put them to the sword and they would be punished in the 72nd minute when Lewis Stevenson felled Paul Heffernan in the box and the latter levelled the tie with a powerful penalty.It was pulsating stuff but there would be plenty of drama to come. With eight minutes to go, Griffiths outpaced Sissoko to get on the end of a long punt upfield but, just when it looked like Bell would mop up, the ball wriggled free and the Hibernian talisman managed to jab it over the line. Kilmarnock's dire day got worse in the final minute when Ross Barbour was ordered off for a foul on Griffiths. The Hibernian forward had a pop at the target from the resulting free-kick but his effort was handled by Gros and Griffiths was awarded a clearer sight of goal from the spot, and he hammered home.For Kilmarnock, the phrase "shot themselves in the foot" sprang to mind. "You could say that, yes," whispered the manager, Kenny Shiels, as he raked over the defensive debris. "They must have felt like they had won the lottery." For Hibernian, the jackpot is within reach again.

Additional Images:

Contextual targeting label:

Sport

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Hampden hopefuls aim to avoid another fine mess

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED