Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross was disappointed to leave Ibrox empty handed but is determined to replicate the performance in the remaining games of the season.
After falling behind to a Joe Aribo goal, Hibs dominated the remainder of the first-half and created several chances before Ryan Kent doubled Rangers’ lead. Hibs continued to press forward and Ryan Porteous had what looked like a perfectly good goal inexplicably chalked off by referee Don Robertson before Kevin Mitchell pulled one back with a superb looping header.
The weekend’s results leave Hibs four points clear of Aberdeen, who beat St Johnstone, in the race for third place with four games remaining.
After the final whistle Ross told Hibernian TV: “We are disappointed because we are never satisfied as a group losing any match irrespective of the opposition or level of the opposition but similar to the previous occasion we came here we produced a lot of good aspects to our game and found ourselves in good areas created opportunities and forced their goalkeeper into making more saves than ours but ultimately they have come out on top.
“That’s the sore part for us but again we are making good progress as a team and it’s just about making that next step as team and that’s what we will keep pushing the players to do.
“In the games against Rangers this season we have been respectful of the problems that they can cause us and they do because they have good players as well but we work on ways that we can create against them and I think we found ourselves in those areas through a lot of good play by a number of players.
“It was fine margins today and that we the reason we lost and that gives us a lot of encouragement for the future but it’s keeping on demanding of the whole group of players that we want to come here and win.
“The goal tally of our strikers, Kevin (Nisbet) Christian (Doidge) and Martin (Boyle) has been very good. They are all in good form, they are all in a good place and they all had an impact today.
“Kevin was excellent during the course of the whole game. His movement for the goal was terrific and long may that continue.
“The great thing for me as a manager is looking at them in training and looking at what they have produced in the games this week, the cup tie (against Queen of the South) and today. The demand is to make sure they replicate these types of performances in the remaining league and cup games. We know that there are big prizes at stake.
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.
