Hibs’ manager Dean Gibson is looking for maximum points from their remaining games before they meet the big three, Glasgow City, Rangers and Celtic again in the next round of fixtures.
After starting the season with two victories, Hibs lost narrowly to Rangers and Glasgow City but suffered a 6-2 defeat at home to on-form Celtic in their last encounter.
Gibson is aiming to get back on track today when they face city rivals Hearts at the Oriam.
The game has an added significance as there will be no Edinburgh derbies for the men’s teams this season due to Hearts being in the Championship.
Hearts who are managed by former player and Northern Ireland international Andy Kirk gained promotion last season but has struggled this term and currently sit at the foot of the table with no points from their opening five games.
Speaking ahead of the fixture Gibson told Hibs TV: “It’s been a difficult start to the season based on results. There have been a lot of positives to take from the games we have played.
“The first two games we were really comfortable and we won them but the next three games we always knew that they were going to give us a different challenge.
“In the first two games I thought we were very good and set up in a way that dictated the game. These players are not used to losing three games in a row in the league.
“I’m not sure if Joelle Murray for example who has been here the longest has ever lost three games in a row in the Scottish Women’s League but what we have said to them is as long as we take maximum points before we go back into these rounds of fixtures, we just need to better our points total.
“We know that Rangers could beat Celtic, Celtic could beat Glasgow City, City could beat anyone so it could be swings and roundabouts the whole way.
“The players are really fit, probably as fit as they were in January or February and to have that time probably allowed them to become full-time players in terms of their training schedule for a while because they didn’t have to worry about work and they came back in a very good condition, every single player.
“That allowed us to concentrate on shape and how we are going to attack teams and how we are going to defend in games.”
Amy Gallacher added: “We started off with two wins then we came into a hard month. We want to be challenging at the top of the table so we have to play in big games and you have to win big games so I think that’s something the team have learned from the past couple of weeks.
“We now have a good combination of experienced players and younger players so, it happens every season when we lose players. We seem to be written off and every year we keep coming back.
“Ever since I’ve been at the club we have always achieved something whether that’s been the League Cup or Scottish Cup, we’ve always been pipped at the post for the league but I think it annoys us as players because we have achieved so many things.
“It’s up to us to show them they are wrong again.”
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.
