Dundee Utd 1 - 1 Hibs: Rivals for European spot can't be separated

IN CONDITIONS that were perfect for football Hibs, although content with the point gained from a tough assignment, might also regret chances spurned to emerge triumphant from another finely-balanced contest between these sides.

Unusually it was Steven Fletcher who passed-up the most obvious of these opportunities in the second-half after being put straight through on goal, although United goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska deserves credit for the save.

The point earned from Tannadice keeps Hibs in the race for third place, while the United players will also feel they have the right to ensure their passports are stored in a convenient place. But Motherwell were declared the only winners from this meeting of their rivals for a European place. The Fir Park side are a point above United and Hibs and in the spirit of a league where much seems disjointed have two games in hand against the same opponents – Rangers.

Much, then, is still to be decided, with United now facing three successive away matches against Motherwell, Aberdeen and Rangers. Craig Levein's side will be grateful for the point here since it was gained after having fallen behind to an excellent goal from Hibs' Dean Shiels.

In truth, the away team entertained only fleeting notions of victory, and were ahead for only three minutes. The source of United's equaliser remained a point of debate after the final whistle and helped stir things up following a surprisingly tame first half.

There had appeared little danger when Thierry Gathuessi followed Mark de Vries on his way out of the box. Most assumed the Hibs defender would simply patrol the striker and deal with any lay-off he might seek to try. An attempted turn from De Vries was the first surprise, and then, when he stumbled, referee Eddie Smith – having taken a few seconds to consider his options – pointed to the penalty spot. Noel Hunt converted the award and saluted the fans in the Eddie Thompson Stand, who themselves might have considered paying some sort of homage to the hapless Gathuessi, whose attempt to deal with De Vries had proved so costly.

The defender had lifted an arm when challenging De Vries. Jockeying the striker would have been a more prudent thing to do, and although the striker appeared to go down with some ease there was a telling lack of protest from the Hibs players. Both sides had subsequent chances to win the match, but a draw – the fourth between these sides this season – was a fair result, and emphasises just how close this fight for a European place should prove, with much likely to still be at stake come the last weekend of the season.



Andrew McNeil retained his place in goal for Hibs in preference to Yves Makalambay, who was on the bench. He was the busiest of the two goalkeepers in an opening half which was unforgivably scrappy. Here were two sides apparently set to fight tooth and claw in a bid to leap-frog Motherwell.

It was an appealing prospect, particularly given the conditions. The corresponding fixture last year had suffered from an appalling pitch, the consequence of an insect infestation at Tannadice. But yesterday there was no such excuse on turf which had a start-of-season quality about it.



There was little to enthuse either the neutral or committed supporter in the opening half, however. United looked the most dangerous side but wasted any opportunities which came their way, most notably when De Vries shot straight at McNeil having done well to turn his marker, Martin Canning.

McNeil had to work harder when tested by Willo Flood on the half-hour mark. The United midfielder had done well to break from midfield and although he had options on either side elected to take a pot-shot at the Hibs goal. The effort was hit with some power, but McNeil acrobatically tipped it over the bar. It was a save enacted for the benefit of the cameras as much as anything else, and the television channel beaming this match out to the nation should have been grateful for the kindness.

Perhaps we should have expected some form of comedown after the thrills of recent United engagements. Even viewers at home have been given full entertainment value from the Tannadice side of late, with two recent games against Rangers having produced ten goals. It's impossible to expect such drama every week, and this was certainly a long way from those high-octane affairs. There was, though, something which put you in mind of the recent 3-3 draw with Rangers, and this was the fine delivery from Sean Dillon. The right-back's crosses were as effective a weapon as seen on the pitch, with Fletcher a peripheral figure in the first-half and De Vries unable to make his physical presence tell in the Hibs box.

There was an end-of-season feel to a fixture which really should have comprised more edge. This initial impression was blown away by a second half which was hotly-contested, if smeared by a lack of quality. Shiels' finish in the 57th minute was the antidote to this. He picked up a through ball from Merouane Zemmama and bore towards the United goal. Zaluska came out to narrow the angle, but, following an artful side-step, Shiels flicked the ball into the net from an acute angle.

Hibs' joy was short-lived, and it must have been a source of more frustration that, as well as letting their lead slip so quickly, the goal was conceded in such needless manner. Gathuessi was the hapless culprit as he bundled De Vries over on the fringe of the box. Hunt thrashed in his 18th goal of the season from the spot and might have scored another had a later free-kick not sped past McNeil's post. United substitute Danny Grainger also came close in the dying seconds with a free-kick after Abderraouf Zarabi, who was a weak link all afternoon for Hibs, had given away an unnecessary foul.

But nothing could separate two sides who have proved such evenly-matched sparring partners all season long.

United scorer is the latest to be riled up by Paatelainen

A FOURTH consecutive league draw between Dundee United and Hibernian provided satisfaction for both managers, although little is resolved by a sharing of the points as the race for third spot – and a European place – heats up.

The financially lucrative reward of Uefa Cup involvement helps crank up the pressure on the three sides fighting to be best of the rest at the end of the season, with Motherwell happiest with yesterday's outcome at Tannadice since it maintained the Fir Park's side hold on third place.

Although Mixu Paatelainen could not complain about a point claimed from a difficult away outing he was troubled by the manner in which Hibs conceded United's equaliser. Thierry Gatheussi, the Hibs right-back, made a rash challenge on Mark de Vries on the edge of the box and conceded a penalty, although Paatelainen did feel the former Hearts striker had made the most of it.

"Thierry should have done better," he said. "De Vries was going nowhere. He should have just jockeyed him instead of trying to get the ball. Credit to De Vries, he used his body. But I thought the big man went down very easily."

Paatelainen was also upset with De Vries later in the game when the striker was floored by a collision with his own team-mate, Willo Flood. The Hibs manager wanted the winded player to leave the pitch and let him know it. Noel Hunt, the United striker who scored his side's equaliser from the spot, did not take kindly to Paatelainen's opinion. The pair exchanged words on the touchline, with the Irishman now included in the growing list of figures who have clashed with Paatelainen since his return to Scottish football.

Paatelainen was far from timid when a player, and since being appointed manager at Easter Road in January the Finn has become embroiled in a series of controversies. He has jousted on the touchline with Rangers manager Walter Smith and been accused of being disrespectful by Gus MacPherson, whose St Mirren side, Paatelainen claimed, might have been beaten 30-0 by Hibs in a recent encounter. He has also had a frank exchange of views with Mark McGhee, the Motherwell manager.

"He was getting involved on the touchline and he doesn't need to," said Hunt later. "He is a bit too eager to tell players to get up. But it wasn't his business. The player might have had a broken rib.

"Our players are nothing to do with him whatsoever," continued Hunt. "There's no need for him to get involved – his playing days are over."

Craig Levein, the United manager, concentrated on the football played and paid tribute to his side for showing the character required to get back into the game.

He also noted how unusual it is for two sides to draw all four league fixtures in a season. Yesterday's 1-1 scoreline followed 0-0, 2-2 and 1-1 results in their last three meetings. "In my time in the SPL I don't think that's happened before," Levein said. "It just shows you how close the two teams are."