Hibs held at home

Dundee United came from a goal behind to earn a point in a closely fought match at Easter Road, sending Hibs second in the SPL ahead of tomorrow’s Old Firm derby.

Merouane Zemmama opened the scoring shortly after the twenty five minute mark with a superb solo run as the home side dominated the first forty five minutes. However the visitors looked came out a revitalized side in the second half, and a deflected Andy Webster strike after seventy two minutes put the visitors level.

Either side could have walked away with the three points in the last twenty minutes during which United midfielder Moragaro Gomis was sent off for violent conduct, after going head to head with Anthony Stokes.

Hibs nearly took the lead with only a minute gone, when a Zemmama cross hit United keeper Nicky Weaver’s left hand post.

Ten minutes later, Stokes came close after taking advantage of some lax defending from the visitors. The Irishman's first shot was parried by Weaver, and his follow up struck the 'keeper's left post and flashed out for a goal kick.

The home side continued to press for the opener and took a well deserved lead after twenty six minutes. Zemmama ran through the middle after taking the ball round united midfielder Craig Conway thirty yards out, before stepping away from Andy Webster in the box and smashing a left footed strike high into Weaver’s goal.

Hibs looked strong at the back, and were able to deal with United’s attempts to get back into game with relative ease. The home side looked the more threatening for the rest of the half, with the Arabs defence struggling to deal with a Hibs front three of Riordan, Stokes and Benjelloun.

Zemmama’s play on the wing continued to pose a threat to the visitors goal, and Hibs came close again after thirty six minutes when a cross from the Moroccan was met by the head of Stokes, whose effort was just off target.

Hibs deserved to be in front at half time with the visitors offering little threat, but it was United who looked the stronger side when the teams came back out for the second half.

Midfielder Prince Bauben came close to putting his side back on level terms ten minutes into the second half, with a strike from twenty yards only narrowly missing Graham Stack’s right hand post.

The visitors would also have been disappointed not to offer more of a threat to Stack seven minutes later, when a Darren Dods cross along the ground was met with a weak Gomis strike, which fell comfortably into the arms of the Hibs goalie.

The home side should have wrapped up the three points after sixty five minutes when a cross from Liam Miller found SPL player of the month Derek Riordan in space in the six yard box, but the striker uncharacteristically scuffed his shot, and sent the ball over Weaver’s crossbar.

Three minutes later Riordan sought to make amends with a free kick after Webster brought down Stokes twenty yards out. Riordan's attempt to impress watching Scotland boss George Burley, and to celebrate his recent inclusion in the national squad, were thwarted on this occasion by Weaver, diving low to his left to save.

Hibs were made to rue this opportunity after seventy two minutes when a deflected strike from defender Webster curled away to Stack’s left, putting the visitors back on level terms.

Both sides looked for a winner in the final twenty minutes, and Hibs again came painfully close when Stokes was inches away from heading an in-swinging free kick from Riordan three minutes after the equaliser.

Gomis saw red with five minutes remaining after an off the ball altercation with Stokes, and, despite the high pace of play in the final ten minutes, neither side were able to find the goal that would have given them the win.