OPPO: Dundee United
VENUE: Easter Road
RESULT: 2-2 (Scott Brown 15, McCracken 90 (og), McLaren 28, Robson 83 )
TEAM:  Andersson, Orman (Whittaker, 62 ), Murdock, Doumbe, Smith, Scott Brown (McManus, 69 ), Brebner, Murray, Kevin Thomson, O'Connor (Dobbie, 58 ), Riordan  
Subs not used: Hyldgaard, Reid
MAN IN BLACK: Charlie Richmond
ATTENDANCE: 8756

WILLIAMSON’S COMMENTS

"I did not even realise that the Dundee United player was down, I did not realise until I saw the referee running back. I never said it to the team before the game but unless it is a head injury we are not putting the ball out of play for anyone, even our own team. We are going to keep playing the game until the referee makes the decision, and that is the way it should be."

"We were losing 2-1, we have to keep playing - nobody fouled the boy, play continued. Thankfully it was not a head knock and so the game goes on. It is the referees decision to stop the game and it always should be the referees decision. Unfortunately some players just want to kick the ball out to get a breather and be sportsman-like. But at the end of the day this is serious stuff, we have to play on - the referee is there to make these decisions, and that is the way it should be."

EVENING NEWS

"Fight to the finish"

HIBS have admitted football is too expensive for families and have promised to address that problem as they strive to coax stay-away fans back to Easter Road.

A changed price structure should be in place for next season, but in the meantime those supporters who are going to games should seek the greatest value out of what they are paying by refusing to leave their seats until the final blast of the referee’s whistle.

Even slipping out a couple of minutes early to beat the crush can be costly these days, leaving fans who choose that option to run the risk of missing the very goals they’ve paid so much to see.

Last season you could understand why some beat a hasty path to the exits, the final few minutes of matches too grim to bear as Bobby Williamson’s side contrived to snatch defeat - or a draw - from the jaws of victory.

This time round, however, the tables have been turned with Hibs themselves grabbing those late, late strikes to claim points crucial to their stated aim of at least making the SPL’s top six.

Time and again the opposition have been left scratching their heads in disbelief as Hibs have snatched a last-gasp goal, whether it be a winner or equaliser, and on this occasion it proved just too much for Dundee United boss Ian McCall who launched into an intemperate rant at his hosts’ lack of "sportsmanship".

THE SCOTSMAN

"McLaren gets his point across"

McLaren and Robson were the individual successes in a decent team performance from United, which confirmed McCall’s side is more adept at playing on the break away from home than forcing games in front of their own supporters. Of United’s ten points this season, no fewer than eight have been earned on their travels.

If the visitors looked the more dangerous side after the interval, Hibs were much the brighter outfit in the first half, when Scott Brown enhanced his reputation as one of the most exciting prospects in the SPL with a thrilling 25-yard shot into the roof of the net.

Playing with three forwards, Hibs appreciated they ran the risk of being caught on the counter-attack in the second period. But they were willing to gamble on their eager teenagers and, according to midfield player Kevin Thompson, Bobby Williamson is unconcerned by age. 

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

"Hibs are saved by last-gasp blunder"

FLAWS and football matches can make an engaging combination. It was negligent of Hibs not to make more of their dominance in the early part of yesterday’s encounter at Easter Road. Yet in United clawing their way back from a goal down to move 2-1 ahead only eight minutes from time, it was equally lax of them not to close out a victory. Especially when it was an own goal from David McCracken in final seconds of regulation time that cost them a win they seemed only to pursue with vigour following the interval.

Their visitors will be angry that Hibs failed to put the ball out of play in order that Mark Wilson could receive treatment in the build-up to the free-kick from which they scored. They should be more annoyed that, when Kevin Thomson flighted this in, a back header from McCracken ended up in the defender’s own net. It might have been justice in a roundabout sort of way but certainly not where Andy McLaren was concerned. Never better than when he has a cause, the forward seemed on a mission in coming to Easter Road. Perhaps something to do with the fact that he trained with the Edinburgh club during the summer and expected to be awarded a contract, only for Bobby Williamson to be unable to afford to give him one.

Baited by the home support with ‘junky’ chants for his past indiscretions, his present form is one of the few bright spots for Ian McCall. Cancelling out a majestic strike from Mark Brown in the first half, it was his surging run and through pass which set up Wilson to put United ahead in the 82nd minute, the striker netting his first goal for the club he joined from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the summer by neatly side-stepping Colin Murdock and tucking the ball into the right hand corner of Daniel Andersson’s net.

It looked to have put the mockers on Hibs’ attempts to play happy families. With Bobby Williamson said to be willing to accept reduced terms in a redrawn contract and their decision not to leave the fans beloved Leith behind, this is a picture they are keen to paint. Yet, an initiative to encourage punters to turn up to Easter Road appeared to have no discernible effect. Unless each supporter was asked to bring an empty seat with them.

SUNDAY MAIL

"SAD ARABS MCCRACK UP AT HIBS BAD GUYS "

RAGING Ian McCall accused Hibs players of a lack of sportsmanship as a lastminute own-goal robbed his side of three points.

Dundee United had victory snatched away in the cruellest possible fashion as David McCracken headed past Paul Gallacher from a hopeful Kevin Thomson free-kick right at the death.

That salvaged a share of the spoils in the thrilling closing stages of a game where both sides had a spell in the lead.

But McCall was furious afterwards as he reckoned Hibs should have put the ball out of play in the run-up to the free-kick, also conceded by McCracken, which led to the equaliser.

Mark Wilson had been injured in Hibs' half seconds earlier as the home side began their attack and McCall said: ``Bobby tells me that young managers should never tell the truth after games like that but the fact is the Hibs players should have put the ball out the park

SUNDAY HERALD

HIBS had launched a new recruitment drive during the week in celebration of the fact they were staying at Easter Road. Perhaps David McCracken was enlisted to assist the PR job.
The header which the United man sent past his own goalkeeper Paul Gallacher from a Kevin Thomson free-kick in the last minute rounded off a thrilling climax and gifted the point which keeps Hibs’ four-game unbeaten run on track.

The visitors harboured a sense of grievance afterwards over the fact Hibs had refused to put the ball out of play to aid the injured Mark Wilson in the run-up to the goal, but Bobby Williamson last night defended his players.

He revealed they are under instructions only to stop the game if a member of either team sustains a head knock.

BBC NEWS ONLINE

Dundee United defender David McCracken scored a last minute own goal to gift Hibs a share of the spoils at Easter Road

Prior to McCracken's unfortunate intervention, Andy McLaren had threatened to return to haunt Hibs.

The United forward, who spent the summer training with Hibs but was not offered a deal, knocked in an equaliser after Scott Brown had given the home team the lead.

McLaren then set up Barry Robson for United's second goal in the 85th minute.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE

"BROWN CRACKER - BUT HIBS SAVED AT THE DEATH"

Just seven minutes left then for Hibs to rescue the game - but United were clearly in no mood for giving up much ground, and were posing much more of a threat on the flanks in particular than Hibs had thus far mustered. With the clock running down to 60 seconds, Duff was sent in for Wilson as Hibs had a free kick on the right midway in the United half. And from that Hibs equalised with a gift from above, or rather the head of United's McCracken as the ball bulleted from his head into the net from Thomson's free kick.

Three minutes of added time were still to be negotiated - in the last of these United had a free kick when Murdock took McLaren out on the left. A great delivery almost saw Murdock return the favour, his clearing header going for a corner via the top of the net. That was the final act in what Hibs will consider a point won rather than two lost.