McGregor: We Saw An Excellent Reaction

Hibs U19s Head Coach Darren McGregor has lauded a number of his players following a vital 1-0 win away to Kilmarnock in the CAS Elite Youth League. 

It was a tightly-fought affair at Rugby Park on Tuesday afternoon, with substitute Jay Gallacher breaking the deadlock in the 88th minute to secure all three points for the wee Hibees. 

This U19s contest allowed for several players who were ineligible due to age brackets coming into the XI following our U18s' Scottish Youth Cup defeat to Hearts last week.

"I thought it was an excellent game," McGregor commented on his team's improved performance. 

"I said to the lads before the game that you’re sometimes judged, rightly or wrongly, as only as good as your last game. And obviously our last game was very poor, so there was an expectation there that we wanted to see a reaction, and we've seen that.

"Obviously we brought a few of the older lads back, which strengthens the spine of the team, and against a very tough opposition with older lads playing as well.

"They had a couple of first team boys playing, so it is good experience for our lads. We come away with a clean sheet, and we win the game 1-0, so it's all you could ask for."

The special game-winner was netted by Gallacher, with a deft touch of his head, or possibly his shoulder, while completing an superb diving header from point-blank range. 

The delivery was just as clever as the finish, with young defender Arran McSporran whipping a tremendous delivery to pick out the mobile forward perfectly in the space between the goalkeeper and his last remaining defender.

McGregor was quick to praise the pair who combined for the winner, but also was sure to praise the man in between the sticks at the other end for his crucial interventions. 

"I thought Azza was absolutely exceptional. He's actually got no right to take it for where he's actually taken it. I'm actually shouting for him to go back to the goalkeeper, so I'm glad he never. He turns out, drives 30-35 yards, puts it in a really good area that's sort of in between the goalkeeper and the centre-back, and Jay is there.

"It was an excellent way to win a game of football. But what I might add as well is six minutes before that, Ryan Mallon pulls off an unbelievable save to keep us in the game. The lad puts it into the top corner, Ryzo tips on at the bar, so that’s excellent.

"Those moments in game went for us, but after the 90 minutes were done, I thought that we did deserve over the piece to win the game, so building that momentum again, and hopefully we can maintain that.

"Jay's worked away, a lot of the ‘09s have probably been a wee bit unfortunate because we've had the European campaign, which meant we've kept a lot of the 2007s back, we've also had the Challenge Cup games, so they're learning, but as I've touched on numerous times with them, they need to take their opportunity when they've been given it, and they've been given it before, and maybe not taken it, but Jay will argue this time he's taken it.

"He’s went on, he's affected the game in a positive manner, he's won us the game, so that will stand him in good stead moving forward."