11/01/03 Erin Hibs 3 Parscelona 2

January 11th 2003

Seafield Sauchton, Edinburgh

A late switch due to a frozen pitch saw Parscelona's IFA Cup  tie move to astroturf at Sauchton. After thawing out holes big enough for the goalposts to be routed, the game went ahead.

It was not a great first half, and while Keith Mackie was forced into one excellent save, Hibs did Parscelona a favour by firing most of their numerous shots over the bar.

The only real chance for the visitors came when Chris Ozog latched onto a poor pass back but could not force the ball past the quick-off-the-mark Hibs keeper.

The first chance of the second half fell to Parsca, once more from a poor pass back. This time it was Alan Maxwell who latched onto it but while his lob beat the keeper it also beat the crossbar by about three yards as well.

It was not long before Hibs took the lead. A low cross across the Parscelona goal mouth was not cleared and a close-range finish put Hibs one up.

Parsca fought back and when Colin McKean made a good run down the line and sent the ball low across goal. With a couple of Hibs players getting irate as they thought the ball had gone out, Johnnie MacDougall was alert enough to collect the ball and send it through the keeper's legs to draw Parsca level.

Still going mental at second-half referee Alex Mercer, Hibs were looking a bit shakier. But when they finally calmed down again they returned to playing better football and quickly regained their lead from a shot from the edge of the box.

Their lead was extended when a long distance shot was deflected off Colin McKean's foot and looped high over Keith Mackie's head.

Parscelona got one back when Colin McKean headed home a superbly delivered Callum Norris corner, but they couldn't find an equaliser and in the end a narrow 3-2 victory sent Hibs through to the next round. It wasn't all bad however as the hospitality laid on by the chaps from Edinburgh at least meant we got a free feed.

Parscelona squad: K. Mackie, C. Lister, C. Norris, J. MacDougall, M. Falconer, Alex Mercer, J. Wilson, C. Ozog, A. Maxwell, G. Macleod, J. Norris, C. McKean, R. Arnott, P. Wordie