St Mirren 2-1 Hibs

Jan 6 2008 Gavin Berry At Love Street

IAN MAXWELL admitted he fluked St Mirren to victory then insisted they're looking at teams above them instead of worrying about a relegation battle. The defender mis-hit a cross into the net for the opener at Love Street before Gary Mason sealed the points in an impressive display only marred by a late goal from Mikael Curier.

The well-deserved 2-1 win saw the Buddies leapfrog Hearts into tenth place and they are now level with Kilmarnock who are only ahead on goal difference.

With a 12-point cushion over basement boys Gretna the Paisley side can only throw it away and Maxwell believes the focus must now be on the teams ahead of them.

He said: "It's great to get a cushion but the most important thing for us was to go above Hearts.

"It's better to look up and try to claw the teams above us back into it rather than worrying about what Gretna are doing.

"It wasn't so long ago Falkirk and Inverness were on a similar points tally to us but they've gone on a good run and if we can do that we can close in on them."

Despite bagging his first league goal for the club Maxwell joked that St Mirren fans shouldn't expect another for at least three years although it will almost certainly be a more stylish effort.

The former St Johnstone star said: "It wasn't a pretty goal that's for sure. It was a shanked cross.

"It was one of those when it left my foot I knew it wasn't going where I meant it to and I half turned away.

"But I noticed it had a wee chance of going in and it dipped in. My last goal was against Spartans in a cup tie in my first season but this is my first in the league.

On that basis I wouldn't expect another until 2011!"

Hibs hadn't recorded a victory at Love Street for nine years and that horror run showed no sign of changing when they fell behind in the fourth minute to Maxwell's freak goal.

The full-back took possession 35 yards out on the left-hand side and his attempted cross into the box caught out Yves Makalambay with the ball looping over the Belgian and into the net.

Hibs' keeper has come in for some criticism during his time at Easter Road and furious team-mate Lewis Stevenson gave him a verbal volley for his positioning at the opener.

The Edinburgh side hardly tested Chris Smith in the Saints goal and things got worse on the stroke of half-time as the home side doubled their advantage.

Rob Jones put Makalambay in trouble with a wayward passback that Stewart Kean charged down and eventually won before setting up Mason who stuck the ball away between two defenders with the Hibs keeper still grounded.

Hibs improved in the second half as the Buddies sat back on their two-goal lead but it took until the 88thminute to find a way through.

Curier rounded Smith before neatly backheeling the ball into the empty net after a mistake by John Potter.

But it was too little, too late and by that time many of the disgruntled visiting fans had already left a rain-lashed Love Street with their mood as bleak as the weather.

REF WATCH

KENNY CLARK must have looked at the horrendous conditions and feared the worst but there was hardly a bad challenge in the game and his cards stayed in his pocket. Rating: 6/10

MATCH STATS

ST MIRREN

SHOTS ON 5

SHOTS OFF 3

OFFSIDE 0

FOULS 6

CORNERS 4

BOOKINGS 0

HIBS

SHOTS ON 2

SHOTS OFF 4

OFFSIDE 5

FOULS 14

CORNERS 8

BOOKINGS 0