BRING to BOYLE
Martin’s winner has Ross relishing Gers showdown
JACK ROSS insists Hibs will head to Ibrox next Sunday with genuine hopes they can knock Rangers off top spot in the Premiership.
The Leith side climbed back up to second on goal difference ahead of city rivals Hearts after a controversial Martin Boyle penalty finally handed Hibs them victory.
Ross, whose side sit just one point behind Rangers, is adamant their position in the top end of the table is not a flash in the pan, but a sign they are progressing year.
Ross said: “To go into this game at that stage of the season as a top of the table clash is indicative of how we have grown as a team.
“We just want to keep doing it, there is nothing wrong in keeping striving.
“When I said it was a game to look forward to, it’s because we go there deservedly as a team who are second in the table and only a point behind.
“The incentive is for us to beat the champions at home and go top and it’s a brilliant incentive.
“It’s not one or two games into the season, we’re into a decent part of the season now.
“We’ve had one defeat all season and that was with ten men for the last half hour.
“So we have got a good team and they are finding different ways to win games.
“I thought earlier in the season we were really at it, we’ve had to dig in a bit over the course of the last weeks but that’s the sign of a team that keeps growing.”
Hibs had to dig deep to end their recent woeful run against Saints.
Ross’ side had lost their last four games to the Perth outfit prior to Sunday, including May’s Scottish Cup Final.
Hibs began the game with purpose. There were only six minutes on the clock when Josh Doig battered a close range shot straight at Zander Clark from Joe Newell’s free-kick.
If he had hit his effort either side of the goalkeeper it would have been a certain goal.
Then there were appeals for a penalty from the home side.
Kevin Nisbet and Clark came together as the pair attempted to get on the end of Ryan Porteous’ pass but referee John Beaton ignored the shouts.
Saints refused to panic and slowly grew into the game.
The visitors’ first chance came after 18 minutes when Chris Kane peeled away from a crowd of players to latch on to Liam Craig’s low pass from a free-kick.
The angle was against the striker as he turned and his rising effort was palmed over by Matt Macey.
Hibs went through a spell of squandering possession and that gave Saints confidence.
Michael O’Halloran had a low deflected drive kept out by Macey and Hibs were not their usual fluid best in the final third.
Boyle was presented with a chance from a long ball forward.
Easing Efe Ambrose out of the way, the Australian international controlled the pass but his shot was tame and easily collected by Clark.
Hibs skipper Paul Hanlon then headed wide from a Scott Allan corner before the break.
Ross brought on Jake DoyleHayes for Kyle Magennis at the interval as the home side looked to get a firm foothold in the match.
Shaun Rooney, the match winner in May’s Scottish Cup Final, had the first chance of the second half, powering clear of Doig from an Ali Crawford pass but he scooped a harmless shot wide.
The defender was left to rue that miss as Hibs went ahead from the spot. Boyle hit a first time Joe Newell cross goalward and Beaton adjudged that Jamie McCart used his arms to block the drive, despite the Saints defender fiercely protesting his innocence.
Boyle stepped up to take the kick and scored, despite Clark getting a hand to his effort.
It was to get worse for McCart.
Already seething about the award of the spot-kick and being booked for it, he was later shown a second yellow card for sarcastically applauding the linesman.
To Saints’ credit, they kept pushing right to the end.
Sub Glenn Middleton had a halfchance inside the area but his deflected drive was easily picked up by Macey.
Ross admitted his team got lucky over the penalty award.
He said: “I think it does hit Jamie’s hand but I don’t think there is a lot that he can do about it considering the distance it’s hit from and the power that Martin hit it with.”
There’s nothing wrong with keeping on striving. We want to keep doing it