Oli Shaw played the full 90 minutes in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Dundee United at the club’s Training Centre, scoring the vital second goal from an indirect free-kick in the 82nd minute and he is hoping that his performance coupled with the goal is enough to keep him in Paul Heckingbottom’s plans for the final five fixtures of the campaign.
The 21-year-old wasn’t the only player desperate to catch the Head Coach’s eye yesterday with Lewis Allan, Gael Bigirimana, Darnell Johnson, Marvin Bartley, Ryan Gauld, Jonathan Spector, and Thomas Agyepong all starting the game.
Hibs first two post-split games are at home to Celtic and Hearts before they travel to Ibrox and Rugby Park. The final match of the season is at Easter Road against Aberdeen.
After the final whistle, Shaw told Hibernian Media: “It’s important to keep getting minutes under your belt when you’ve not been playing too much, so a lot of the boys have been playing in the Reserve League to get match sharpness for the final five games of the season. We need to be ready to help the team.
“I’ve not scored too many goals from outside the box, so to get one from the edge of it from an indirect free-kick is great.
“I didn’t think it was going to be my day, I’d had a few chances hitting the post and the goalkeeper pulling off good saves, so I was happy to get my goal which sealed the win.
“As a striker scoring goals is always good for your confidence and it’s good to keep showing the manager what you can do. I’ll keep working hard, keep my head down and try to help the team in the next five games however I can.
“The manager has been in for a few weeks now, but everyone is wanting to impress him and the ones who haven’t had much game time have all been eager to play in the Reserve League and show what we can do.
“Everyone wants to put a marker down and get into the first team. Hopefully a few of us have done enough to impress the manager and we will see where it takes us.
“The next five games are massive, so if I can play a part in that then it’ll be great for me.
“We’ve been playing a 4-3-3, so there is only one place for a striker. I’ve been asked to go out wide and add different positions to my game as it gives you a better chance to come on and play in matches.
“As a player, you are always developing and learning new things. The manager has come in and implemented new things, so the whole squad are working hard to get that nailed down for the next five games and going into next season as well.
“He knows how he wants to play and knows what he wants to do. We’ll all work hard and it’s important for me to develop my game and find different positions I can play in. At the end of the day you want to play football, so learning a new position can aid me in that respect.
“It’s different for me having been a number 9 type player, always in the box and looking to get on the end of crosses and passes with poacher’s finishes, but it is something I am enjoying learning about.
“The manager has asked me to go out and do a job in a new position and I am working hard to implement what he wants to see from me in that wide position, and hopefully I’m doing that well and maybe I’ll get a chance back in the first team.”
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.
