Derek hails Lenny and his Hibee side

DEREK McINNES has hailed Neil Lennon and admits Hibs remind him of his own Aberdeen team of old as the rivals prepare for a massive match this weekend.

The pair clash tomorrow lunch-time at Pittodrie, with the Dons enjoying a six-point lead over the capital outfit in the race for the second spot they have claimed in the last three years.

Aberdeen won 1-0 at Easter Road back in October and go into the encounter on the back of moraleboosting victories over St Johnstone and Dundee, whereas Hibs suffered a 2-1 defeat to Rangers on Wednesday night.

However, McInnes is under no illusion how difficult a task his players face in trying to put daylight between themselves and their Edinburgh opponents.

He said: “Neil’s doing an absolutely brilliant job there. His team actually reminds me of my team in my first couple of seasons at Aberdeen.

“They’re a very quick, hard-working team, and they’re a very good counterattacking team.

“You can see that the place is a good place to be doing their work at the minute. The players look happy and the manager’s got the whole club going.

“When you see Hibs in the type of form that they’ve shown, they can be a tough opponent.

“They were when we won 1-0 at Easter Road. There was not a lot in the game; we scored a very good goal, with a moment of quality.

“But, by and large, there was nothing between the teams, and there’s nothing between the teams, really, in the league. We’re a few points ahead but it’s still early doors.”