Hibs debrief: Ryan Porteous the hero once again, an unusual red-card scenario, Elie Youan's form

A look back on Saturday’s match at Easter Road as Hibs take all three points against ten-man Motherwell.

Player of the match

There’s only real one contender for this. His centre-back partner had a good game beside him, but nobody in green and white matched the performance of Ryan Porteous and that’s without factoring in the hugely influential impact he had on the end result. He earned the red card, scored the game’s only goal and continued his excellent recent form with another robust showing in defence. If there were concerns about his form early in the campaign they are completely gone now.

Defining moment

Motherwell's Connor Shields pulls down Ryan Porteous and gets a straight red card for a professional foul. Picture: SNS

It’s hard to look past the red card. In an unusual quirk, the ordering off of Connor Shields was the fifth time already this season an opposition player has been given his marching orders at Easter Road and once again Hibs took full advantage. It was a strange red card as you don’t often see an attacker (Shields) bringing down a centre-back (Porteous) in a last-man scenario in open play, but that’s what occurred here. The Motherwell man just went absent-minded for a moment, thinking the danger had gone and almost coming to a stop before impulsively taking down his opponent when there was a chance his keeper was getting to the ball first.

Ref watch

Grant Irvine was rather pedantic when it came to the little things, like stopping the match from flowing to move a free-kick back a couple of yards, but he appeared to get the big decisions right.

Benefit of hindsight

Elie Youan started the game on the left of midfield once again despite not being in particularly good form of late. The Frenchman followed it up with a typical performance of him so far this season as he looked threatening until he got to the penalty box and then failed on the final ball. Harry McKirdy wasn’t exactly Martin Boyle in relief, but it’s maybe time for the loanee from St Gallen to come out of the starting XI for a couple of games to refocus. There’s certainly a player there and a goal would do him a wonder of good.

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