MIKA IS THE MAN FOR WELL
On-loan Arsenal kid Biereth gets Well on their way to win
MIKA BIERETH came off the bench to sprinkle some stardust on to a game that looked like ending in stalemate at Fir Park.
Motherwell’s on-loan Arsenal kid was thrown on by Stuart Kettlewell after 55 minutes of mediocrity and turned the match on its head.
Biereth created the opener for Conor Wilkinson before helping himself to a second goal that was to prove the winner after Adam Le Fondre’s injury-time penalty gave Hibs late hope.
They couldn’t find a leveller, though, and the Euro stars of midweek remain pointless in the Premiership this term.
A second successive defeat in the league adds up to a nightmare start for boss Lee Johnson but Well’s Kettlewell was thrilled that his side found a way to win – and with the impact of his new boy up front.
He said: “He was excellent when he came on. We know he’s got quality. He’s still a young lad and going through the development phase in his career but coming from a club like Arsenal, we know he’s a good player and previously playing in Holland, has been a factor in us thinking he can play here.
“We are delighted with the impact. You don’t ever know it is going to be like that from the first off but with the bits we’ve seen in training, he looks like a guy who can excel at this level.”
Kettlewell was clearly happy with his side’s performance in the draw at Dundee last week as he went with the same starting 11.
But Johnson shuffled his pack, bringing in Dylan Vente, who scored on his debut in midweek, and Jordan Obita, who also got on the scoresheet against FC Luzerne.
Le Fondre and Martin Boyle were on the bench.
Elie Youan and Josh Campbell were injured, which meant starting slots for Jimmy Jeggo and Christian Doidge.
A fairly frantic opening was epitomised by Theo Bair’s poor pass that gave Dylan Levitt the first chance of the afternoon in the third minute. The Welsh ace dragged his 20-yard shot wide to the relief of the Well striker.
There was plenty of hustle and hassle but precious little quality from either side in the opening exchanges, although Joe Newell was trying to bring some calmness to proceedings.
The home side looked more nervy but finally sprang into life after 20 minutes when Blair Spittal saw his shot deflected wide after referee Matthew MacDermid played a good advantage on the edge of the box when Newell had fouled Wilkinson.
Motherwell had edged their way into the game by the half hour and a terrific ball curling away from David Marshall and in behind the Hibs defence from Callum Slattery needed just a touch from Bair but a Hibs boot nicked it away.
Lewis Miller had been nothing if not uncompromising in his approach and a late lunge on Slattery earned the Hibs right back the first yellow card of the day 10 minutes from the break.
And four minutes from the break, the Motherwell support really had something to shout about when Pape Soure’s left wing cross was bulleted off Marshall’s bar by Dan Casey’s thumping header.
Vente had barely had a touch but on the stroke of the interval he pounced on a mix-up between Paul McGinn and Bevis Mugabi only to be crowded out.
That was to be Vendre’s only contribution as he was replaced by Boyle at the break, with Le Fondre also coming on for Levitt as Johnson tried to find a formula to win the match. Boyle moved out wide right to make it a 4-4-2 but it was their hosts who had the first chance of the second period, although Wilkinson couldn’t get a shot away in the crowded box.
Wilkinson’s strike partner Bair was taken off 10 minutes after the restart to give Well fans their first look at on-loan Arsenal attacker Biereth,
The Danish Under-21 international didn’t take long to set up Spittal for a shooting chance but the midfielder’s shot fizzed low and wide of Marshall’s right hand post.
It was at least an encouraging sign for Well and in the 65th minute, Kettlewell’s substitution paid off big time when Biereth chased what looked like a lost cause down the right channel but got the better of Lewis Stevenson before driving into the box and cutting back for Wilkinson to beat Marshall.
Hibs were rattled. Newell was booked for a foul on Spittal 25 yards out as Well went for the second.
And they got it in sensational style as Biereth chased down a long ball, got the better of Will Fish and twisted and turned inside the box before smashing a 14-yard shot into the back of the net.
Hibs looked dead and buried but were handed a lifeline in injury time when VAR deemed a Motherwell hand had been used inside their own penalty box.
Le Fondre stepped up and scored but it was too little, too late.
“The only slight negative was that I thought we were due a clean sheet,” Kettlewell said.
“We weren’t under a great deal of threat. We were good, welldisciplined and organised. We started to carry a greater threat in the second 45, so all in all a pleasing day for us. But we are not resting on our laurels.”
MOTHERWELL .......... 2 HIBS .......... DAVID MCCARTHY AT EASTER ROAD
He was excellent when he came on. We know that he has plenty of quality
stuart kettlewell talks up biereth