MOTHERWELL and Hibs settled for a point apiece as fourth met fifth at Fir Park in a goalless stalemate that won’t live long in the memory.
The visitors went close straight from kick-off as Kevin Nisbet was released beyond the Motherwell defence with a neat ball down the left flank, only for Jake Carroll to block the striker just as he pulled the trigger.
It was barely a half-chance, yet it was the closest either side would get to a goal in a dull opening 45 minutes. The running battle between ‘Well striker Kevin van Veen and Hibs defender Rocky Bashiri provided some entertainment: the latter took a few sore ones throughout the game but to his credit, the Norwich loanee didn’t allow it to put him off his stride.
A tame Liam Donnelly pot-shot from 25 yards that rolled harmlessly wide of the far post was the closest the home side came to testing Matt Macey in the Hibernian goal until a glorious chance fell the way of Van Veen with the game approaching the half-hour mark.
An initial shot following a corner for the hosts was palmed away by Macey, falling invitingly to the Dutch forward at the far post. He struck it on the half-volley from around eight yards but could only screw it wide of the target.
The second half started in much the same fashion the first ended, with ventures into the opposition box a rarity. Both teams focused their attacks down the flanks, where there were plenty of bodies and very little time or space afforded to those on the ball.
Both severely toiled in the final third. A whipped ball from Chris Cadden across the face of goal was the closest Hibs came to breaking the deadlock but there was no one waiting to provide the finishing touch.
A full-blooded and rash challenge from Donnelly on Drey Wright earned a second yellow card from referee Andrew Dallas as Motherwell went down to 10 men for the final 15 minutes. January arrivals Euan Henderson and Demetri Mitchell were brought on for Hibs as Shaun Maloney looked to make the extra man count.
Hibs stayed patient with their build-up play and almost got their reward as the game approached stoppage time. A neat lofted ball from the back sent substitute Christian Doidge scarpering through on goal but the Welshman elected to shoot rather than square it to Nisbet for a tap-in, blasting the ball high and wide of the near post and ensuring the match ended goalless.
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