Sour grapes from London HIBS

London Hibs 1 - 2 Republic of ireland Soccer Supporters Club (London)

Find below match report from game played on Sunday 14th Dec posted onto Hibs web site david@lhfc.co.uk tel: 0771 263 2081 if you have any comments
(they forgot to mention that our 52 yo left back didn't give there right midfield / defence a look at the ball)

Guess these guys don't like losing - hope we get them in the cup!

London Hibs match report:

So London Hibs are the best team in the league, right? And Ireland are one
of the worst? Yes. Without a doubt. We beat them on their ground 8-0 just a
few weeks ago.

So how did we lose?!...

Our final competitive game of 2003 should have been a formality against an
ageing, flabby Ireland side. And we started superbly. There was hardly any
respite for the fat Ireland defence as we created chance after chance with
some exceptional football - quick, darting moves - every player passing,
linking and moving cleverly into space. Some of the chances... Beaugie with
just the keeper to beat blasts the ball off the outside of the post...
Jenkins free on the penalty spot heads wide... West untangles himself from a
six-yard scramble and beats the keeper but sends the ball agonisingly across
the face of the goal... Moore shoots - keeper saves... Jenkins is put
through by West & he's one on one with the keeper - he rounds him but is
forced too wide... Moore shoots - ball flies wide... eventually a long throw
from Jane on the left is deftly controlled by Jenkins on the 6-yard box into
the path of West who fires home... London Hibs 1 v Ireland 0

Had we come in at half time 5 - 0 up Ireland could have had no complaints...
they were totally outclassed.

But if we were brilliant in the 1st half in the 2nd we seemed intent on
proving how average we could be... we hardly created another chance.
Ireland, however, didn't exactly take the game by the gonads (though
Beaugie's were nearly kicked off by a wayward Irish? boot) - they're not
good enough for that. The game just got scrappy. And even with four fit
young ringers leading their attack (guys from one of the local youth sides
who just happened to be standing around minutes before kick off) they never
really looked like troubling us. That is until a couple of comedy moments in
goal from Grant...

A missed catch on a corner & a fumble in the last few minutes from an
innocuous 30 yard hoofed free-kick gave Ireland two soft goals and the three
points. But Donald shouldn't take the blame for this defeat... some of our
key players sank into a malaise in the 2nd half and we squandered possession
- too many tackles were missed or jumped out of - and suddenly we were under
pressure when there was no need to be. Put yourself under pressure and you
can always lose a silly goal... we lost two.

Yes, Sunday was totally frustrating... and stupid... and idiotic... how the
f^ck did we lose to that rabble?!!! But it's a lesson we need to learn if we
want the title: We are the best team in the league. But being a good
football team is not enough - if we don't want to win we won't win. That's
the bottom line. On Sunday too many players couldn't be bothered and we paid
the price.

A wise man once said: "it's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether
you get up." Well... a fat, grey Irish bloke gave us a nudge at the weekend
and we fell over like a drag queen with a snapped heel. We're still clear at
the top of the table and deservedly so... but we'll only hold onto the top
spot by sorting out this attitude problem. Come on boys... WE ARE WINNERS...
so fix your heels and get up again...

GGTTH

David