Hibernian debutant striker Andy Walker certainly won over the Hibs support
with a sensational performance in front of goal for the Edinburgh side in this
keenly fought basement battle.
The game started two minutes late to observe a silence for former Scotland
legend Billy Bremner.
Within two minutes the noise from the Hibernian support created an
unbelievable contrast to the previous silence when Andy Walker fired in from two
yards after an Andy Dow cross and Tony Rougier's header left Jim Leighton
stranded.
Hibs played with a lot of spirit in the first half and were very unlucky not
to go further ahead.
Aberdeen defender Tony Kombouare played a poor back pass to his goalkeeper
Leighton who just managed to clear before Hibs striker Stevie Crawford could
pounce.
On another occasion Crawford rounded Kombouare and fired in a dangerous cross,
however Hibs failed to capitalise.
Just before half-time and against the run of play a cleverly worked move from
Aberdeen's David Rowson and Eoin Jess, Dons striker Billy Dodds snapped up the
opportunity to equalise the score.
In the second half Aberdeen played much more intelligently, with Jess and
Stephen Glass in particular began to really shine.
Firstly Glass fired a 25-yard freekick off the Hibs crossbar with Hibs
goalkeeper Chris Reid stranded.
Then minutes later after some clever passing Mike Newell set up Jess, who
expertly finished to put the Dons 2-1 in front in 68 minutes.
Just as Aberdeen appeared to be taking command and former Hibs manager Alex
Miller seemed likely to take all three points back North with his side,
Hibernian managed to produce a sensational equaliser.
Walker finished perfectly with a header after a cross from sub Kevin Harper.
With only three minutes to go Walker was robbed of an unbelievable
hat-trick when his 10-yard side-foot effort passed Jim Leighton.
But to his
astonishment the ball bounced slowly back off the inside of the goalkeeper's left hand
post.
Dons manager Miller will be disappointed with the way his side let their grip
on this game loosen.
They appeared to have the game sewn up yet somehow managed to allow Hibs back
into the game to grab a vital share of the points.
Both sides can take some encouragement from this game.
Hibs had the better of the first half and Aberdeen had the better of the
second half.
However, a point is not what either side were looking for.
Teams
Hibernian: Reid, Boco, Dow, Dods, Hughes, Charnley (Harper 71),
Walker, Jackson, Crawford, Rougier (Miller 71), McGinlay.
Subs Not Used: Larusson.
Booked: Walker.
Goals: Walker 2, 83.
Aberdeen: Leighton, Anderson, O'Neil, Inglis, Kombouare, Smith,
Rowson, Jess, Newell, Dodds (Bernard 80), Glass.
Subs Not Used: Kiriakov, Miller.
Goals: Dodds 43, Jess 68.
Att: 10,001
Ref: W Young (Clarkston).
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