Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs believes that his players have answered everyone’s questions by coming through a difficult series of games and still be in a position to keep up the pressure on Rangers ahead of next week’s game at Easter Road.
Speaking immediately after the game to Cliff Pike from Hibernian TV, Stubbs said: “It was a game of two halves. The first half we were very good. we moved the ball around and looked a threat all the time. The second half. you have got to give Raith a bit of credit. They put the ball on top of us and were more direct, with throw ins into the middle of the goal.
“Every team has a different style and we have to respect everyone and try and combat that and we have done.
“You only have to look at the second half to see why Raith have got results and to play against that type of football is difficult. You know that Big Jon (Daly) is going to make it awkward, if not necessarily in the air but by backing in and stop you getting clean headers and balls can drop down and give opportunities to other players.
“We had to be resilient and if anything, Tuesday game at Falkirk has probably given them a taste of what they had to deal with in the second half at the end.
“From that point of view, I’m really pleased for the lads. We have had a period of games that we knew we had to win to keep up the pressure to keep in touch and we have answered all the questions and the targets that we have given ourselves up till now.It has given us an opportunity to reduce the gap (with Rangers) next week.
“We have dropped a couple of silly points over the last five or six weeks but I am thrilled going into next weeks game with a minimum of eight points difference.”
The Head Coach was also delighted with the quality of the two Hibs’ goals but less impressed with the one conceded. he continued: “It was a fantastic strike (from John McGinn) as soon as it left his foot, I was right behind it and it was moving all over the place and it was lovely for us that it hit the inside of the post and went it. Jason (Cummings) had a lot of work to do to resist the defender, get the ball under control and lift the ball over the keeper. It was a great finish. we tell him to play on the shoulder more and more. He had a habit in his game where he wanted to come toward the ball all the time when I first came and his strengths are not necessarily that.
“We switched off for one second today and it cost us. Next week we need to not switch off at all.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
