Comedy capers no joke for Hibs

ST MIRREN 2 - HIBERNIAN 1

THEY may like the sunshine in Leith, but down in Paisley, St Mirren will take the rain every time. Yesterday, especially during a first half played in an unrelenting downpour, they out-fought, out-thought and comprehensively out-played worryingly inept Hibs, deservedly leading 2-0 at the break and going on to comfortably close out the game after the interval. An ultimately futile late riposte from Mikael Antoine-Curier did nothing to spare Hibs' blushes.

It wasn't even that the callow visitors were physically weaker than their hosts, just that St Mirren played with an urgency, purpose and desire that was conspicuous by its absence from Hibs' play. With Gretna receiving a pasting on their journey to the frozen north, it's difficult to see how things could have gone much better for Gus MacPherson's men after a particularly barren spell.

If the St Mirren coach had much to be pleased about the same could not be said for his counterpart Tommy Craig. His side haven't won since beating Gretna eight matches ago and he must wonder where Hibs' next victory is coming from. He must also wonder whether he will still be at the club to see it: yesterday's dismal performance, complete with two goals which should be filed under a heading of comedy capers, will have done him few favours in his bid to secure the manager's job at Easter Road. On the evidence of this match, whoever gets that job will need to be quick on their toes in the remainder of the transfer window.

St Mirren had started the brighter of the two sides and when they took the lead after just six minutes it was no surprise, even if the manner in which they took it certainly was. The goal, which was uncannily similar to the David Van Zanten goal which beat Hibs here last year, was a freakish effort which will give Craig nightmares for weeks to come. The ball had been pumped forward via the route one towards Billy Mehmet, and the big striker had knocked the ball down for Alex Burke, who laid it off to Ian Maxwell.

With Maxwell hugging the left touchline and still about 35 yards out from goal, there seemed little cause for undue concern, so when the ball was whipped across and it looked as if was completely over hit, there was a mini hiatus as both attackers and defenders momentarily paused and watched the ball arch goalwards. Unfortunately for Hibs, one of the figures rooted to the spot was their keeper Yves Makalamby, who had wandered out of his goal. Too far it turned out as the ball spun viciously over his head and into the corner for the unlikeliest of goals.

That goal not only had the effect of putting St Mirren ahead, it also turned Makalamby into a quivering wreck. The goalkeeper looked like an accident waiting to happen and on the stroke of half time he was once again Hibs' ruination. In his mitigation, every fall guy needs a partner in crime and the keeper formed a potent double act with Rob Jones, whose defending was at times criminally poor. Makalamby was clearly extremely jittery, yet with seconds of the first half remaining Jones put the Belgian under unnecessary pressure with a timid back pass.

It was a bad decision poorly executed and Makalamby, obviously fearing giving away a penalty, as Stewart Kean closed, held back and the St Mirren striker was able to dip in between the two Hibs players and snaffle the ball. With the Hibs skipper and his keeper surrounding Kean on the edge of the six-yard box and appearing to be hemmed in on the touchline, he still had much to do. But somehow as the Hibs' pairs' lunging challenges took them past him, the ball stayed at Kean's feet leaving him free to pass the ball back across the box where Gary Mason was on hand to drive into the net his first goal at Love Street.

Having scored just 11 goals before yesterday's match, a 2-0 lead at half time was an unexpected and unaccustomed luxury for St Mirren, yet it was the Paisley side rather than their visitors who were the more composed outfit during a second half in which the status quo was never seriously threatened.

That Hibs managed to pull a goal back at the death was of little importance even if it did raise MacPherson's pulse during the two minutes of extra time. The goal went to Curier, who had been Hibs' only real threat for most of the game, a threat undermined by his tendency to creep offside. Yet eventually he got a reward, twisting and turning into the St Mirren box with seconds to go, rounding Chris Smith before backheeling the ball into the net. It was a rousing final flourish for a side which had precious few of those, but Hibs will need something a little more substantial between now and the end of the season.