Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross is looking forward to a full weeks training with the squad after being without so many players during the international break.
Six first team regulars were missing along with another couple due to injuries which resulted in a limited preparation time for yesterday’s visit to Dingwall where, despite dominating throughout Hibs had to settle for a share of the points.
After the game Ross told Hibernian TV: The prep time we had for this game was way down on what we would have had normally because we didn’t have the full squad till yesterday when Ofir came back.
“I’m looking forward to a full week now to regain normality. We have got a tough schedule including the game at Hampden and hopefully we will get Jamie (Murphy) and Drey (Wright) back in the fold as well which gives us more options.
“Overall as we were away from home and considering the number of players we had missing over the last 10-days I am pleased with what the players produced today.”
Ross admitted that the players were upset about not winning the game but he saw plenty to be positive about.
He continued: “It shows where we are as a group at the moment that they are frustrated and disappointed that they haven’t won the game but I reminded that that we came away from home, kept a clean sheet and were good defensively in terms of limiting the opposition to very few opportunities. I don’t think Ofir (Marciano) has had saves to make in the game and then created a lot through the course of the match as well.
“On another day we could easily have won the match but we haven’t done but it’s a point that keeps us ticking over.
“They are frustrated but there was a lot of good things about today as well.”
Hibs created four clear cut chances in the opening 12-minutes and Ross believes that they should have had an early penalty when Martin Boyle was impeded inside the area.
He continued: “I thought the first one was a penalty. I thought at the time it was and watching it back I still think that. People might have a different opinion but the fact that he stayed on his feet but he was off balance because of that and it affects his finish but we didn’t get it.
“There was a mixture of not being clinical and the keeper making saves and misfortune in hitting the woodwork but we pushed as hard as we could and continued to make opportunities and tried to make full advantage of the last 10-minutes when we had the man over as well and created further opportunities in that period as well.
“I was a bit critical of them at half-time. Although we dominated the first half I thought there were bits in our game we could have been better at and I actually thought our overall play in the second half improved.
That’s because we are striving to keep reaching these high standards every single game and the players buy into it. I was pleased they did that. I don’t want them to be flat. I want them to be striving to win every single game.
The defensive side was excellent, creative was good it’s just that ruthlessness in the opposition box that let us down today.”
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.
