Andy Halliday’s late objective proved decisive as in-form Motherwell capitalised on Nectar Triantis’ pink card to defeat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Street.
The Steelmen went forward by means of Apostolos Stamatelopoulos within the 56th minute however Junior Hoilett rapidly hit again for the hosts.
With the match delicately poised, Hibs midfielder Triantis acquired a second yellow card within the 77th minute and the guests took full benefit, with ex-Hearts midfielder Halliday incomes them a sixth win in seven video games in all competitions.
Hibs supervisor David Grey chosen the identical group that began final Sunday’s 1-0 defeat away to Rangers.
Effectively boss Stuart Kettlewell was equally happy with the group that took to the sphere for his group’s earlier match as he made just one enforced change from the win over St Mirren, with Kofi Balmer changing the suspended Dan Casey at centre-back.
The guests threatened within the second minute when Ewan Wilson nicked the ball off Lewis Miller on the left and surged ahead earlier than crossing to the again publish however Stamatelopoulos’ volley from 12 yards out lacked the facility to hassle Josef Bursik.
Hibs received their first sight of objective within the fifteenth minute when Lewis Miller headed simply huge from a Junior Hoilett nook. Second later, Triantis was booked for diving as he burst into the penalty space.
The hosts began to crank up the strain and within the nineteenth minute and keeper Aston Oxborough needed to make a superb double save to disclaim Mykola Kukharevich.
From the ensuing nook, taken by Hoilett, Kukharevich noticed a strong header cleared off the road by Lennon Miller.
The Ukrainian striker then pinged a shot simply over after being teed up on the sting of the field by Hoilett.
The Edinburgh facet had one other couple of alternatives in direction of the tip of the primary half as former Effectively participant Chris Cadden blazed over from 10 yards out earlier than Kwon Hyeok-kyu’s low shot from the sting of the field was beautifully tipped behind by Oxborough.
The visiting keeper made one other wonderful save early within the second half to disclaim Cadden after Kukharevich’s move had despatched him clear by means of within the field.
It proved pivotal as Effectively went forward from a cleverly-worked free-kick within the 56th minute when – with the Hibs defence making ready for a excessive ball into the hazard space – Lewis Miller slipped a move in behind for Stamatelopoulos who darted into the field and blasted excessive previous Bursik from eight yards out for his first objective since becoming a member of the Lanarkshire membership in the summertime.
The Steelmen’s lead lasted simply three minutes, nevertheless, as Hoilett dispossessed O’Donnell huge on the left, drove in direction of objective and curled a beautiful end past Oxborough from simply contained in the field.
Hibs’ hopes of victory had been dented when Triantis acquired his second yellow within the 77th minute for a foul on substitute Tony Watt. Motherwell required simply three minutes to make the additional man depend as Halliday received himself clear on the sting of the six-yard field to stab dwelling from Balmer’s lengthy throw-in.
Triantis pink card angers Hibs boss Grey
Hibernian boss David Grey:
“When you’re on a yellow card, you can’t go off the ground again and give the referee a decision to make.
“No matter what you get the primary yellow for, while you’re on a yellow card you possibly can’t do what he did within the second half. (Watt) wasn’t going anyplace.
“From that moment, it’s definitely cost us. Once you’ve got back to 1-1, you’re at home and the momentum starts to build again, you think, ‘right, can we go on and win the game?’. That definitely stops you.
“You go all the way down to 10 and also you lose the objective three minutes after that, you then’ve received a mountain to climb.”
Asked if Triantis held his hands up afterwards: “Sure, I feel he is aware of he is made the error, but it surely would not change something.
“I understand that if you’re the last man and you’re trying your best to stop a clear, obvious goalscoring opportunity, but in that situation it’s just a lack of discipline and out of character for him, to be honest.
“However on the similar time, he must study from it, we actually cannot settle for that.”
Kettlewell: We rode our luck
Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell:
“To return right here and get the victory is actually good as a result of I mentioned earlier than the sport I really feel that Hibs have gone up a stage as a soccer membership, so it was at all times going to be a troublesome day for us. Set-pieces had been the defining issue I feel within the sport.
“If I look at the bigger picture I don’t think we were great in the first half at all. We rode our luck, no doubt about it. They had plenty of pressure, plenty of balls into good areas, plenty of efforts at our goal.
“Then initially of the second half, there was a second when Zach Robinson pressed their goalkeeper after which we received good strain out on their right-hand facet and I feel that simply gave us a raise and a wee little bit of perception.”
