Hibs handed Mark Warburton his first league defeat of the season coming out 2-1 victors at Easter Road this afternoon.
The win cuts the gap at the top of the table down to five points with the shadow of administration hanging over the Ibrox side.
Fearing a test against full-time opponents Warbo dropped wonder kids Nathan Oduwa and Gedion Zelalem to the bench with Hibs out playing the league leaders despite the early loss of Dylan McGeouch through injury
Jason Cummings opened the scoring in the 11th minute but that was cancelled out two minutes into the second half when Darrren McGregor deflected a shot into the net.
Hibs took 15 minutes to recover from that shock and got the goal they deserved when Paul Hanlon headed home from a corner in the 74th minute.
Dom Ball, Andy Halliday, substitute Oduwa and Martyn Waghorn were all booked with Halliday and Waghorn lucky to escape further punishment after a punch up in the closing stages was overlooked by referee John Beaton.
With their lead cut down to five points the pressure is now on Warbo up against opponents who have budgeted to get through the season without having to send out the begging bowl.
Confirming that his January spending would be limited former city trader Warbo said: “We will be looking at one, maximum two players in January. We have a good dressing room and they are where they are in the league because they deserve to be there.
“I think it would almost be disrespectful to go and get five or six players in. The unity and harmony of a dressing room is vitally important, and you saw that against Queen of the South with the late goal and the late victory.
“You saw the celebration together, so you can’t talk about working together on a daily basis and then talk about bringing in five or six players. The moment you do that, you lose all the harmony within your ranks.
“I think you’re always busier in May, June and July – that goes without saying. Why? Because you have the eight weeks of pre-season to bed-in new players.
“In January, the season is up and running. If you bring in five or six players then, it’s a huge risk. If you’re in the bottom third of the table and you have had some poor performances, or if you’re maybe losing three or four players, then go ahead with that.
“Right now, it’s a very dangerous proposition, so one or two in January then four or five more in the summer period.”
Liam Henderson was replaced by former Celt James Keatings midway through the second half with Ronny Deila watching the lower division action from the stand at Easter Road.
Having tasted defeat for the first time after a record breaking start to his career Warbo will be anxious not to follow the crash suffered by Ally McCoist in 2011. The former Question of Sport skipper had Rangers (IL) sitting 15 points ahead of Celtic on November 5, after losing to a Joe Ledley header at Celtic Park the Ibrox side fell behind the hoops with administration and liquidation following within six months.
That’s it down to 5 points, now is it the same club, 25 point deduction for administration or new club 15 point deduction. Get your money out King for payday, Chuckles and sevco’s legal fees, maintenance work for asbestos dome and Murray park, and big Mikes 5 million pound loan. ( where’s the f*ck oor badges went)
HAPPY DAYS !
HH
HAPPY DAYZ! indeed.well done the hibeees…………
Now servco know that they were lucky to beat Hibs at crumbledown ibrox and Hibs will go on to win the title. Once again as happened with the Motherwell play -off last season servco still think you should not beat them and as was seen they started a fight which referee J . Beaton who`s brother once played with servco took no action to a servco player throwing a punch. As we have seen it is blatantly being done to help servco but it looks like dear old administration is rearing it`s head and I for one will laugh the loudest. Well done the Hibeeeee`s. !!!
The new club have dodged a few bullets recently and just ran out of luck and assistance this week. They have ridden their luck in recent games where they should and could have lost a few times. Some quite convenient penalties, red cards to opponents etc have helped their run stretch as long as it has. Congratulatons to big Stubbsy for overcoming the new guys, and also the leanings of the officials who have assisted the new club reaching this far unblemished, that is until the ex Celtic boys decided enough was enough.Hail Hail Stubbsy, Liam Henderson and the other ex Celts in the Hibs team today.
Great day to be a Hibee!! Thank you Stubbsie and the boys!!
Zombie II coming soon……
wonder if the sfa officer will have a look at the spat and act accordingly
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
“I think it would almost be disrespectful to go and get five or six players in …”
” … so one or two in January then four or five more in the summer”
Hmmm – yep, top-class motivating comments for your current squad there MW … ah but of course, if they’re mostly on loan, they’ll be off in the summer and by then Mr King will maybe have freed up his £zillions to bankroll a Champions League winning squad? 😉
Kiernan ‘ s tackle early on was atrocious and an automatic red, not the yellow shown by the ref.
In the late flare up Waghorn was in the midst of it, yet failed to get a 2nd yellow which would have seen him sent off………why?
Phil ‘ s hinting strongly that one or more named in the Friday night statement had not seen the content prior to publication. Is this an attempt to strong arm them into continuing to feed the beast that’s devouring their money……..though probably not King’s.
If this is a strategy that ensures the auditors sign off on the accounts, coming out this week, without a going concern notice.
Perhaps the auditors should have a word with those named just to double check that they are in fact on message and what the quantum of their, er, Co investment will be.
When this number is ascertained it should add up to a sum which will ensure the lights will be kept on for another year, otherwise the auditors have to add a going concern note to the accounts.
Given the high profile of the client, the fact that the previous auditor did walking away, TGASL ‘ S previous in telling porkies, their own reputation is on the line.
Based on recent precedent there will be losses of between £8 to £10m.
Where is the plan to turn the numbers around, to make a profit?
There appears not to be one, only that the aim will be to win the SPFL next season, then qualify for the group stages of the Champions League……….it’s a fairy tale and could only be achieved by spending yet more money that they don’t have and increasing the annual loss in the pursuit.
Losses that the Co investors, we are told, will stump up ………really?
Remember these guys, including King, are nowhere near the billionaire status of previous incumbents of the Blue Room, Mr Whyte for one.
Have seen the pictures of King at Chelsea yesterday, blues brothers ET Al, with numerous theories kicking around as to why he was there……..by the way did anyone see him at Easter Road today?
Surely the only reason he would be at The Bridge was to tap up Abramovich……….hey big man, any chance of a wee sub, £5m would be great, £10m even better, small change to a man of your substance.
What’s that……….security? Away ye go, ya big kidder, security is it……then you have my word on it, take that to the bank with you, ask around, ask anyone, my word is my bond, nuff said.
Cheque? Well direct transfer would be better, you know what it’s like, bills and that!
See the guys on TSFM are having a bit of fun at the expense of Mr Bryson.
I’m amazed that none of the accused have hired him as their defence lawyer in the forthcoming trials………….the cases against them would be thrown out in an instant……..why so?
The Brysonian defence of course……….because no one knew any wrong doing was taking place at the time the deeds were done then there is no case to answer, therefore no consequences or punishment for the accused can be levied on them retrospectively.
Seems perfectly straight forward to me.
Also if the Bryson interpretation was rolled out in a wider sense the only people who could be found guilty of any sort of criminal charge would be those actually caught in the act at the time, no retrospective punishments could be enforced even as the result of new DNA evidence available today.
Congratulations to Hibees everywhere , have yourselves a happy Leigh Griffiths weekend,
…’we’ll bring in John Eustace in January, then Messi, Suarez, Ronaldo next year’…
HaHa.