Head Coach Grant Scott is excited to be competing “almost under the radar” at the top of the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League table with just 11 games of the league season remaining.
An away victory over Montrose on Sunday evening, sealed by Rosie Livingstone and Kathleen McGovern strikes, sees the team extend their unbeaten league run to 13 matches.
The Links Park hosts showed their quality and defensive resilience by giving the visitors a stern test on their home turf.
“It was tough out there for us,” Scott said. “I don’t think we were at our absolute best.
“But once again, we’ve got a result over the line. Credit to the players for that.
“I think when you can keep clean sheets in games when you’re not at your finest it puts you in a good spot.
“I think it’s something that we’ve got to still adapt to as a group.
“At some points in the match, we’re looking for players to feel for those momentums and understand that you don’t need to keep forcing things, and also to settle us down to retain the ball for a little bit.
“I think it’s difficult when your opponent is pressing you in quite an aggressive way, and not in a dirty way, just with pace and energy. They were very busy about us, so it was quite hard. We’re just looking to manage those moments and games up a little bit better.”
Erin Clachers admits tenth-place Montrose “made it hard” for Hibs on Sunday evening in a tricky battle between the two at Links Park.
It was a third successive clean sheet for Clachers, who has now shut-out the opposition on eight occasions this term in just 15 appearances.
She said: “It was a tough game,”
“I think they made it hard for us. They are always a tough team to play against.
“But at the end of the day we got the three points, and that’s all that matters really.”
“They’ve certainly made it tough for us. We have had chances that could’ve put the game to bed earlier, but we didn’t [score them].
“[The missed chances] are probably a factor, but we’ve got there in the end.
When asked of her commendable clean sheet record in Hibernian colours, Clachers was keen to thrust praise on the team – including fellow shot-stopper Noa Schumacher.
“The backline, and Noa when she’s come in, have all done really well.
“Clean sheets can often win you games, so as a club we are really proud of that.”
Next week brings the international break — in which a couple of players venture off on Scotland duty — and the opportunity to reset ahead of a crucial final pre-split fixture versus Celtic at Meadowbank.
Elena Sadiku’s side, alongside Hibernian, are one of the four teams currently joint-top of the league table on 51 points.
“It’s another big one. We will need a lift in performance,” Scott added “We’ve got a bit of time to prepare now.
“We’re just delighted to be in that discussion at the moment. The other teams have bigger budgets than us and we’re fighting away, almost under the radar, just picking up victories.
“Nothing scares us anymore. We are ready to play against these guys and hopefully we equip ourselves well in the remaining games.”
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.
