Recalling the day Colin Nish stepped up to seal a Euro place for Hibs

Tannadice double proved decisive on final day of 2009/10 season

Colin Nish (left) is hailed after opening the scoring for Hibs in the win over Dundee United at Tannadice on May 9, 2010. Pic: SNS Group Andrew West

When you are chasing a European spot at the end of a long season, the last thing you want is a seven-game winless streak going into the final day of the season.

However, that’s the exact scenario Hibs and their manager John Hughes were faced with on the final day of the Scottish Premier League 2009/10 campaign.

Hibs had started the season like a runaway train, clocking up points and by the start of 2010, a top-four finish and a spot in the Europa League looked assured.

The attacking threat of Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes and Colin Nish guaranteed them goals every week, and behind them the guile of Liam Miller resulted in a constant supply line.

The issue became a defensive one. Hibs started to ship goals at will. In that seven-game run, Hamilton Accies put four past them, Dundee United took the same total at Easter Road – and who can forget the six goals Motherwell blasted past Hibs goalkeeper Graeme Smith on the penultimate day of the season in a crazy 6-6 draw.

So, as Hibs arrived at Tannadice on the morning of Sunday, May 9, 2010, the pressure was on Hughes and his team. Failure to win would almost certainly leave them in fifth place and at the mercy of the Scottish Cup final to see whether that position would allow them to qualify for Europe. Their case was helped somewhat by United’s participation in that showpiece the following week against Ross County. Perhaps Peter Houston’s men would take their eye off the ball.

Hibs also needed a favour from Rangers, who hosted Motherwell at the same time. If Motherwell won, it would not matter what happened on Tayside, but in the end that match finished 3-3 and opened the door for Hibs to get back into the European qualification berths.

Three points, that’s all Hibs required. Hughes decided not to make too many changes to his team despite throwing away a 6-2 lead at Fir Park four days earlier, with Sol Bamba the only change, coming in for Paul Hanlon.

United were lethargic, their minds clearly elsewhere, and even though Hibs’ confidence was low, they kept passing the ball around and probing for an opener.

It arrived on 12 minutes and it was Nish – who scored a treble against Motherwell – who broke the deadlock, firing past Dusan Pernis after neat play between Miller and David Wotherspoon.

That settled Hibs’ nerves and as Rangers took an early lead against Motherwell, the scene was set for Hibs to clinch a European place.

It took a while for the second goal to arrive, but on 72 minutes, Nish stepped up to the plate again, evading Garry Kenneth to head home a Steven Thicot place. Hibs were back in Europe.

“It’s been a great season and I think a lot of people have forgotten that. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” said Hughes afterwards. “Over the last eight weeks, we’ve not been at our best, in terms of results.

“It’s great for the club and the supporters to get European football next year. It’ll be a great adventure.”

The adventure didn’t last long though – Hibs fell 6-2 to impressive Slovenians Maribor at the first hurdle.