Don't give Kevin van Veen the hump with a silly bump. That’s a lesson David Marshall learned on Saturday after the Dutchman left Hibs down in the dumps.
Motherwell goal machine Van Veen admits he “felt like sh*t” at Easter Road - but after a fiery second half clash with Marshall he lifted himself to strike a double that left the keeper in the brown stuff. Then it was all about payback as the bold frontman followed his late free kick into the net to rub the Hibs skipper’s face in it.
His double took his season tally to an impressive 20 yet Van Veen admitted that his first strike from the penalty spot was embarrassing. But it was Marshall that was left red faced as he allowed the penalty to squirm under his body before being beaten too easily by the late free kick.
Asked if he deliberately made a beeline for the Hibs number one, the Well hero said: “Of course. He bumped into my back on the side of the pitch.
“He bumped into my back and I thought: ‘I will give you some back’. I’m not letting anyone run over me. No chance. So I bumped him back and he came to my face and started swearing at me.
“I thought: ‘I know I’m going to score again. Watch me coming towards you’. I just celebrated to him and I asked if he was alright after I put that free kick in and then I went to the fans.
“I like that type of stuff. He’s very experienced and a very good keeper and I don’t think he minds either. It was great to get 20 goals. If I’m being a perfectionist I should maybe have scored one more and the penalty was not great.
“It was a terrible penalty. I never go there and I tried to do something different and it didn’t work out. Lucky for us it went in but it was actually embarrassing to take a penalty like that then take a free kick like I did. It was a massive win and the team was amazing. I felt like s**t today. I felt horrendous. It was one of those days I was just lethargic.
“I have a lot going on in my personal life outside football. I’ve got some stuff that I had to deal with. It felt a bit like I was carrying a backpack today. I have to give credit to every single one of my team mates for carrying me through the game. If it’s someone else feeling like that next week, if I feel good, I have to carry him through.”
Van Veen may be 31 but he’s hurtling towards a career best season in front of goal.
Only once before has he broken the 20 goal mark - nine years ago in the fourth tier of Dutch football when he struck 24 times for JVC Cuijk.
But with eight games to go this season he’s on course to smash that - and he insists the target has to be THIRTY.
He said: “In the Netherlands I scored more but it was at a lower level.
“Hopefully I can keep it going. There are eight games left so I am hitting another 10 goals! I am that confident. You need to believe in yourself.”
Motherwell were comfortable winners after Sean Goss fired them into the lead after just six minutes.
The midfielder, who was the standout in a dominant Steelmen performance, lofted a sweetly struck left footed free kick over the wall and into the top corner off the underside of the bar.
Hibs went close through Kevin Nisbet and Chris Cadden but Well doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half after a calamitous few minutes for Marshall.
First the keeper got involved in an angry pushing match with Van Veen after the pair contested a ball that ran out of play.
Moments later the Hibs number one charged from his line and poleaxed Blair Spittal in a 50/50 for a clear penalty. He looked to have redeemed himself after guessing the right way for Van Veen’s poorly struck effort but the ball squirmed under his body.
Hibs hit back just after the hour mark when Nisbet made space to power home a header from Cadden’s cross.
But Van Veen made sure the points were heading back to Lanarkshire when he brilliantly bent a 25 yard free kick in at the far post.
It’s now 13 points from 18 for Stuart Kettlewell since replacing Stevie Hammell as the Steelmen climb 11 points clear of the bottom spot.
And Van Veen praised the new boss saying: “He’s changed our fortunes. I’ve nothing bad to say about the previous manager. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.
“But every single one of us has impressed and is putting in that extra five or 10 per cent more for the gaffer.
“That’s wrong to say from me because we all worked hard for the old gaffer and we loved it and I have a really good bond with him.
“But the way we set up and how organised we are a lot of credit has to go to the gaffer and his staff.”
