DUTV
STORY OF THE MATCH | RANGERS (A)
25th November 2024
Substitute David Goodwillie sealed a vital win for United with a goal two minutes from full time. Hibs were reduced to nine men at the time after Chris Hogg saw red and David Van Zanten received treatment for a head knock and Goodwillie took full advantage of that to beat Ian Murray to the ball and lash his shot past Yves Ma-Kalambay. United had earlier taken the lead through Warren Feeney before Steven Fletcher equalised for the home side five minutes before half time.
Craig Levein fielded as attacking a line-up as he could and it was United that dominated the first half. However, the first clear-cut chance fell to Hibs when Derek Riordan played in Denes Rosa but he blasted his shot wide of Zaluska's right-hand post after six minutes.
United came even closer to breaking the deadlock six minutes later. Darren Dods rose well in the box to nod a Swanson corner on to the bar before Feeney saw his header cleared off the line by Lewis Stevenson.
Three minutes later, Hibs had another decent chance when a ball over the top allowed Steven Fletcher to run on to it. He made for the byline and cut it back to Jonatan Johansson who, under pressure from Dods, managed to get a shot at goal that Zaluska did well to parry low at his right-hand post.
Levein was forced to make an early change after 26 minutes when James Wesolowski suffered a torn hamstring and was replaced by Morgaro Gomis. Two minutes later, United were ahead. Swanson crossed to the far post where Danny Grainger arrived to put the ball back across goal to Dods. He headed the ball down to the far post and there was Feeney to smash the ball into the net from point-blank range.
United were in command now and some excellent passing play put them in decent positions but it appeared at times that they were trying to walk the ball into the net and they failed to add to their tally. Hibs managed to soak this up and, six minutes before half time, they grabbed an equaliser. Johansson was played into the front post and he fired a ball across goal that Fletcher was able to connect with at the back post to slide the ball into the net.
United almost took a fortuitous lead just before half-time when Ma-Kalambay was relieved to see a Buaben drive take a huge deflection but spin just past his right-hand post.
United began the second half with renewed vigour and Danny Swanson was continuing to cause the home side problems. First, he curled a shot just wide of Ma-Kalamnay's left-hand post. He then put an excellent ball into the feet of David Robertson in the box but the midfielder was unable to get the ball out from his feet and get a strike on goal.
Levein made his first tactical substitution after 58 minutes as Goodwillie replaced Shala up front. He had an immediate impact as he played a superb one-two with Swanson which allowed the ball to be cut back to Garry Kenneth whose vicious strike was parried by Ma-Kalambay.
With time ticking down, Craig Conway replaced a tiring Swanson and he saw his shot also parried by Ma-Kalambay before the big Hibs keeper gathered Feeney's shot on the rebound.
Referee Stevie O'Reilly then incensed the home support when he showed a straight red card to Chris Hogg for a late lunge on Conway. Both managers felt it was a harsh sending off but O'Reilly was adamant in the face of Hibernian protests. With five minutes to go, Hibs were reduced to nine men when David Van Zanten was taken off the pitch for treatment to a head injury and United were to exploit their two-man advantage in deadly style. A decent ball was played up front and Goodwillie did well to beat Ian Murray on the edge of the area before bearing down on Ma-Kalambay and drilling a low shot into the net in front of 1,000 delighted Arabs to secure United's first win at Easter Road since 2002.
Hibs looked down and out but still managed to create a glorious chance in injury time. Riordan did well to fire a ball across goal but Johansson could only put the ball over the bar from six yards out and United held on for a vital three points in the quest for European football in their centenary season.
Man of the match: With Lee Wilkie suspended, Garry Kenneth marshalled the defence well in his absence as well as getting forward regularly to bolster the attack. Unlucky not to have a goal from an excellent second-half shot.
Teams:
Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Van Zanten (McCormack 90), Hogg, Murray, Fletcher, Thicot, Stevenson, Rankin, Johansson, Rosa (O'Brien 62), Riordan
Unused subs: McNeil, Keenan, Hanlon, Chisholm, Cropley
United: Zaluska, Grainger, Dods, Caddis, Feeney, Wesolowski (Gomis 26), D Robertson, Swanson (Conway 76), Kenneth, Shala (Goodwillie 58), Buaben
Unused subs: McGovern, Dillon, S Robertson, Kovacevic
Referee: Stevie O'Reilly
Attendance: 10,591
Click here for the full report by Ross Burns.
Craig Levein fielded as attacking a line-up as he could and it was United that dominated the first half. However, the first clear-cut chance fell to Hibs when Derek Riordan played in Denes Rosa but he blasted his shot wide of Zaluska's right-hand post after six minutes.
United came even closer to breaking the deadlock six minutes later. Darren Dods rose well in the box to nod a Swanson corner on to the bar before Feeney saw his header cleared off the line by Lewis Stevenson.
Three minutes later, Hibs had another decent chance when a ball over the top allowed Steven Fletcher to run on to it. He made for the byline and cut it back to Jonatan Johansson who, under pressure from Dods, managed to get a shot at goal that Zaluska did well to parry low at his right-hand post.
Levein was forced to make an early change after 26 minutes when James Wesolowski suffered a torn hamstring and was replaced by Morgaro Gomis. Two minutes later, United were ahead. Swanson crossed to the far post where Danny Grainger arrived to put the ball back across goal to Dods. He headed the ball down to the far post and there was Feeney to smash the ball into the net from point-blank range.
United were in command now and some excellent passing play put them in decent positions but it appeared at times that they were trying to walk the ball into the net and they failed to add to their tally. Hibs managed to soak this up and, six minutes before half time, they grabbed an equaliser. Johansson was played into the front post and he fired a ball across goal that Fletcher was able to connect with at the back post to slide the ball into the net.
United almost took a fortuitous lead just before half-time when Ma-Kalambay was relieved to see a Buaben drive take a huge deflection but spin just past his right-hand post.
United began the second half with renewed vigour and Danny Swanson was continuing to cause the home side problems. First, he curled a shot just wide of Ma-Kalamnay's left-hand post. He then put an excellent ball into the feet of David Robertson in the box but the midfielder was unable to get the ball out from his feet and get a strike on goal.
Levein made his first tactical substitution after 58 minutes as Goodwillie replaced Shala up front. He had an immediate impact as he played a superb one-two with Swanson which allowed the ball to be cut back to Garry Kenneth whose vicious strike was parried by Ma-Kalambay.
With time ticking down, Craig Conway replaced a tiring Swanson and he saw his shot also parried by Ma-Kalambay before the big Hibs keeper gathered Feeney's shot on the rebound.
Referee Stevie O'Reilly then incensed the home support when he showed a straight red card to Chris Hogg for a late lunge on Conway. Both managers felt it was a harsh sending off but O'Reilly was adamant in the face of Hibernian protests. With five minutes to go, Hibs were reduced to nine men when David Van Zanten was taken off the pitch for treatment to a head injury and United were to exploit their two-man advantage in deadly style. A decent ball was played up front and Goodwillie did well to beat Ian Murray on the edge of the area before bearing down on Ma-Kalambay and drilling a low shot into the net in front of 1,000 delighted Arabs to secure United's first win at Easter Road since 2002.
Hibs looked down and out but still managed to create a glorious chance in injury time. Riordan did well to fire a ball across goal but Johansson could only put the ball over the bar from six yards out and United held on for a vital three points in the quest for European football in their centenary season.
Man of the match: With Lee Wilkie suspended, Garry Kenneth marshalled the defence well in his absence as well as getting forward regularly to bolster the attack. Unlucky not to have a goal from an excellent second-half shot.
Teams:
Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Van Zanten (McCormack 90), Hogg, Murray, Fletcher, Thicot, Stevenson, Rankin, Johansson, Rosa (O'Brien 62), Riordan
Unused subs: McNeil, Keenan, Hanlon, Chisholm, Cropley
United: Zaluska, Grainger, Dods, Caddis, Feeney, Wesolowski (Gomis 26), D Robertson, Swanson (Conway 76), Kenneth, Shala (Goodwillie 58), Buaben
Unused subs: McGovern, Dillon, S Robertson, Kovacevic
Referee: Stevie O'Reilly
Attendance: 10,591
Click here for the full report by Ross Burns.
