Motherwell 6 - 6 Hibs: 'Ended up breaking his foot' - managers, players, fans, commentators have their say
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Craig Brown, then Motherwell manager: "I was quite calm throughout. I was very pleased with the response from the players when they went behind. I said to them that the worst thing in any sport is a losing lead. We were behind at half time, and I said if we pull Hibs back they would have a fit of the jitters, and that's how it transpired.
"I didn't believe for a minute they would go out and lose two and have to come back from four behind. But they showed great resilience, terrific character. The team spirit is tremendous in Motherwell Football Club.
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Hide Ad"I've got to compliment the chairman for reducing the price to get the fans in, and they played their part, they were magnificent; they got the adrenaline going and the guys responded."
John Hughes, then Hibs manager: “We weren’t on a great run. The first half of the season was magnificent. It couldn’t have gone any better for us. We were free scoring, winning games, went on a great run. We hit a wee dip. The opposite stand from the Main Stand got demolished and the atmosphere [was affected], the pitch really cut up badly. No excuses but that certainly played a part on our style of play. Our form in the first half of the season was that good it kept us in the hunt for that European spot.
“See that attacking style of football? That’s what I got brought up watching Hibs. That’s what we want to do. If you see all the goals scored that day, apart from Juktiwicz’s individual equaliser, all the Hibs goals were great football goals. That’s what we worked on from the minute we went in. I just think if we’ve got the ball, passing it, keeping it, creating chances, the ball is in the other team’s half then that’s the best way to go and play football. That’s what I’ve been brought up on and that’s what we did that day.
“We felt like we lost the game. That was the feeling in the dressing room. You could hear the noise coming from the Motherwell dressing room. In some ways you’re delighted, in other ways you are a wee bit embarrassed you’re losing six.
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Hide Ad“Now you look back and laugh at it and go wow, what a great game of football. At the time your emotions were all over the place.
“It was just a great game to be involved in, absolutely fantastic.”
Colin Nish, hat-trick scorer for Hibs and man of the match, said on the night: "I'd have taken the ball gladly when it was 6-2. But it didn't seem as good a souvenir as it might have been when the score was 6-6.
"There was a time on the pitch when every time I looked round Motherwell had scored another goal. I'm trying to be positive and remember that we did actually score six times ourselves. But our last one seemed a long time ago when Motherwell started their comeback.
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Hide Ad"That has to be considered an embarrassment for us. We play in Scotland's major league and this match had so much riding on it so far as Europe is concerned.
"When you're four goals in front and there's less than half-an-hour to play, the game should be done and dusted in your favour.”
Lukas Jutkiewicz, scorer of the equalising goal, said: "It was certainly the most exciting game I've ever played in. Especially at the climax. I don't think I'll experience anything like it in my career again.
"In terms of it being so late in the game and how sweet I hit it, it's up there with the best I've scored. I didn't think I had too much support, so I just thought I had no time left and why not have a go.
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Hide Ad"Everyone was on a massive high. To finish the game like that felt like we had won it.
"Unfortunately for Hibs, it must have felt like they lost, but the adrenaline was pumping for a few hours afterwards."
Ian Crocker, Sky Sports commentator: “A once in a lifetime utterly crazy totally bonkers experience. I mean I’m never going to cover a 6-6 again. Am I?
“I remember parking up at the stadium thinking this could be a long night. I wasn't expecting much of a game to be honest, even though both teams were chasing a European place. Just goes to show, what do I know?! As I recall there were some early chances before Colin Nish lit the fuse with the opener. I think when it was 1-2 after 20 minutes I thought blimey we could be in for a goal fest here, though I was thinking maybe a 3-3 or a 4-3!
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Hide Ad“Obviously it would have to be Lukas Jutkiewicz’s magnificent equaliser. John Sutton just lumped the ball forward in the air and I was thinking Lukas could get the better of Paul Hanlon here, this would top the night off nicely It was an extraordinary, breathtaking goal. I’ve just watched the highlights back on You Tube and that stunning strike still makes me tingle. Although, with apologies to Ross Forbes and Motherwell, I quite enjoyed his late penalty miss because at 5-6 it simply added to the extreme drama and the incredible tension.”
Graham Barnstaple, Motherwell fan working for Motherwell FC and Hamilton Advertiser that night: “All sense of professionalism went out the window when Jutkiewicz score the equaliser.
“By the end I was an emotional wrung out rag, having gone from the depths of despair to the kind of high only football can provide.
“It is still hard to put into words, there was the joy of seeing a brilliant come back, a wee bit of disbelief that the penalty miss could have seen us win the game 7-6! I’m pretty sure anyone who passed would’ve seen me shake my head on regular occasions as what I had just seen sunk in. Even when I watch it back on YouTube, or even typing this, I get goose bumps. I also think of the most miserable looking man of the match I have ever seen on Sky as Nish collected his champagne for his hat trick!”
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Hide AdDuncan McKay, Hibs fan in attendance that night: “It’s remarkable how a regular league game from ten years ago can still make you shudder a decade on. To say I have fond memories of the 6-6 game would be wrong, no one likes to see their side throw away a four goal lead in such a lame manner.
“However, had Lukas Jutkiewicz not scored that remarkable equaliser, I would no doubt remember that strange Wednesday night as just another fond memory in supporting the Hibees. But leaving Fir Park that night, having taken a point from the clutches of victory, there was so much annoyance to contemplate that we were lucky to be part of such an incredible night of football. And a decade on, I’m still too blinkered to properly enjoy it. My pain was only mental unlike one of my companions on that night, so frustrated by the unlikely equaliser that he took it out on the seat in front and ended up breaking his own foot.
“Probably a neat summary of Hibs endeavours that night.
Cliff Pike, commentating for Hibs TV that night: “The 6-6 defeat as I call it! Looking back, a fabulous game of football, but it didn't seem so whilst I was commentating for Hibs TV!
“With Hibs 4-2 up at half time, a big Nishy hat trick included, everything seemed rosy. Two further strikes from Anthony Stokes made it 6-2 with 25 minutes left. Surely game over?
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Hide Ad“If only Fast forward 10 minutes and we're sitting gobsmacked as Motherwell score their third goal in that 10 minute spell making it 6-5 with quarter of an hour left! l turned to my now sadly departed Hibs TV co-commentator Martin Glancy and said "say something Martin, I'm speechless." His response was stunned silence! Still 6-5 with a couple of minutes remaining, Hibs 'keeper Graeme Smith concedes and then saves a penalty. I start thinking we've somehow got away with this! Imploring Willie Collum to blow the final whistle deep into additional time, Lukas Jutkiewicz unbelievably equalises with an absolute worldie. All I can do in commentary is praise the finish.
“In a post match daze, I remember John Hughes saying it was a great game for neutrals. For a Hibee, it was anything but at the time!”
Graham Thewliss, Motherwell fan in the crowd that night: “I've only left one game early, and even at 6-2, as ridiculous as it sounds, I still fancied us. The game was an absolute shambles. Neither team could defend in the slightest. Both teams were going out of their way to make more mistakes than one another, the one that always sticks in my mind is Hibs break from a Motherwell corner to score.
“It had just been a chaotic night in all the right ways, and finished the game off with a goal that still sits at the top of the pile as my favourite all time Motherwell goal.”
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Hide AdMark Atkinson, current Edinburgh News sports editor was at Fir Park that night: “Somebody asked me recently what the most exciting football match I've ever been to, and this one is it - Motherwell 6-6 Hibs. Some of the goals were outstanding, but it was the sheer drama of it that makes it stand out. I remember when Graeme Smith saved the penalty at 5-6, I thought that was it, Motherwell's comeback was over, but Lukas Jutkiewicz had the last laugh.
“The match came at a time when John Hughes' tenure was just starting to be questioned by the Hibs support because they were so defensively fragile. Had that game gone on another five minutes, Motherwell would have won 7-6.”