The Hughes hullabaloo worked in Hibs' favour

Ian Paul

18 Nov 1996

Hearts0 Hibs0 THE one real question needing an answer, other than why we were there at all, was the familiar one: did he slip or was he pushed? Did Stephane Paille take a dive or did John Hughes bop him hard enough to send him down in the fashion perfected by British heavyweights through the years? Very few people could even attempt an answer for the simple reason that not many saw it.

Even the all-seeing eye of the camera failed to capture the incident and in my own case a glimpse out of the corner of my eye was the best I could offer.

What is certain is that Hughes did make some kind of movement with his hands towards the Frenchman and Paille did collapse.

It had come about after the new Hibs captain had challenged another Frenchman, Gilles Rousset, for a high ball at the far post and bumped into the keeper in the process.

It seemed pretty innocuous in a game that had plenty of more ferocious goings-on to keep the bloodthirsty content but Paille appeared to take exception to the fact that Hughes did not apologise to his countryman and seemed to block the former Celtic man's path upfield as he remonstrated with him.

Hughes then either knocked him down or pushed him aside in exasperation, the choice being left to the stand-side linesman who was the only official who got a good look at the incident.

His decision, acccepted by the referee, John Rowbotham, meant that Hughes was accused of violent conduct as he was shown a red card immediately and not a second yellow card - he had been booked in the first half.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the sending-off, its consequence did not add to the entertainment factor of a match that was as poor as this derby invariably is.

Hibs, naturally, regrouped, leaving Kevin Harper alone up front, putting the resourceful Pat McGinlay into central defence and settling into an effective counter-attack mode.

In fact, Hibs became dangerous to more extent than before, but it still did not amount to much.

Hearts, on the other hand, found the Hibs defence in even more determined and defiant mood and the result was pretty much stalemate and poor fare.

Hearts had the better chances throughout, notably the ones missed by Colin Cameron and John Robertson, but did not do quite enough to convince anyone that they were due the three points.

Hibs manager, Jocky Scott, restrained himself from saying too much about the ordering off, but did feel that Hughes was harshly treated with the yellow card and the red one that followed.

Overall, the caretaker boss was pleased with the performance he was given by his players, their battling qualities perhaps more than anything else.

In his situation, when he is not only trying to improve the team but secure full employment for himself, the willingness of the players to work for him is probably the most essential factor.

He felt his team played good football in the first half but that seemed to me evidence of rosy spectacles on the manager, rather than objective judgment.

Good football was as scarce as good fun, although the impossible Ally McCoist, having a day off, turned up in the Hearty Harry costume at half-time, romping about in madcap fashion before receiving a mighty cheer when he revealed his identity.

Will they be in as benevolent mood if he hits home the winner in next Sunday's Coca-Cola Cup final? Still, he did give us something to smile about and that is not a regular event in the old ball game in these austere times.

Jim Jefferies, the Hearts manager, came close to saying his team might have done better if the ordering-off had not happened.

"The game stopped at that point and then after a couple of other incidents when people lost the place a bit it took a while to get going again," he said.

"Hibs are due credit for defending with great determination.

It was a more open game before Hughes was sent off." The man whose form has been outstanding this week, Jim Leighton, was honest enough to admit to an error of judgment which nearly cost his team a goal.

Jim Weir deceived him with a well-struck shot when it looked certain he was attempting a cross and it was only at the last second the international keeper got his hands to the ball and touched it over via the top of the bar.

"It was my mistake but I did manage to reach the ball." Hibs made the unusual, maybe unique, step of fielding a trialist in a derby and the man concerned, Finnish internationalist Juha Riippa, pleased the manager who will now get down to talking contracts with the tough midfield man.

Next League Games: Hearts - Celtic (a); Hibs - Aberdeen (h).

TURNING POINT THE sending-off of John Hughes undoubtedly determined the way the capital derby would end.

Hibs felt so aggrieved that, if possible, their determination increased, and Hearts found themselves facing a defence which was well controlled by Gordon Hunter and deputy central defender Pat McGinlay, with Willie Miller's telling interceptions the highlight of the second half.

Taken from the Herald