Source: FOOTYMAD
Patience Is The Key
Nobody likes playing against ten men but Motherwell stayed calm and got their just rewards. Motherwell manager Craig Brown was full of praise for the way his side dealt with Hibs on Saturday. They had to show a lot of patience before Jamie Murphy's late goal earned them a 1-0 win over a stuttering 10-man Hibs. The home side dominated the game before and after Liam Miller's controversial 32nd-minute red card but were kept at bay by a resolute Hibs rear guard. However, Murphy cushioned a fine volley just inside the post after John Sutton had held up Jim O'Brien's 82nd-minute cross and laid the ball into his path. The win took Motherwell to within five points of third-placed Hibs. The result continued a fine run for Motherwell under Brown and further boosted their European hopes. 'Well have now gone eight league games without loss under Brown, and have only lost one goal along the way. Brown was not underestimating the achievement of taking three points against 10 men after Jim Gannon's Motherwell drew with Hamilton, Dundee United and Aberdeen earlier in the season under similar circumstances. The former Scotland manager said: "It's difficult to play against 10 as we've found in the past. So that was worrying me, the 10 always put more effort in, each man gives another 10 or 15 per cent. Also, they play with a persecution complex. So it was a good result against 10 men. Anyone who tells me it's easier to play against a weakened team, that's nonsense, because they are more determined not to lose a goal. Hibs, after they went to 10, were determined to get a draw so there was only one team trying to win the game at that point and it's harder when they are all back. So I give the boys credit, they keep going and getting results. You need patience and you've got to keep playing." There was a difference of opinion over Miller's red card with Brown siding with referee Euan Norris' decision to show a straight red card for a foul on O'Brien, claiming the midfielder "could have broken his ankle". However, his Easter Road counterpart felt it was a very harsh decision. Hibs manager John Hughes said: "If that was a red card, Scottish football is in a sorry state. It made it a real uphill battle on a very heavy pitch and I'm disappointed the boys lost a late goal when we were hanging in there, because I thought we could have defended that better." Hughes felt he had to make five changes to the side which lost 5-1 defeat to St Johnstone three days earlier with the likes of Graeme Smith and Derek Riordan dropped. And he is looking for his squad to give him everything to ensure they end their losing streak after their third defeat in a row. He said: "We're asking boys to show plenty of character to make sure we are sitting third and digging in there. It's up to these boys, even the boys that have been sitting on the bench are good enough to go and play. I felt Lewis Stevenson was possibly the pick of the bunch and they just need to keep digging in." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
