FAN SERVICE IS 2ND SPOT
OLI SHAW is eager to repay Hibs fans for three bleak years in the Championship by storming to a secondplace Premiership finish.
The striker, who salvaged a point against Ross County on Saturday with a late equaliser, is convinced Neil Lennon’s men can still rip up the accepted top-three order.
By stretching their unbeaten run to nine games, Hibs sit just three points behind both Aberdeen and Rangers.
If they leapfrog both in the post-split fixtures it would be a remarkable feat just a year on from winning promotion.
And Shaw believes momentum is on their side.
The 20-year-old said: “There’s a real belief here we can finish second in the league.
“Our results against the bigger teams this season have been very good so that gives us plenty of confidence.
“After the split we’ll just take each game as it comes but there’s a confidence about us.
“Getting second in our first season back in the Premiership would be a remarkable achievement.
“The fans would really deserve that for the way they stuck by us and for everything they have been through in the last few years.
“They had to watch the club relegated to the Championship and spend three seasons there before coming back. But this season has been good, we’ve played well in a lot of games and had some very good results.
“What we have to do is make it a good season by finishing strongly.”
Hibs had the lion’s share of play in Dingwall, but struggled to break down a revitalised County side fighting for their lives.
Shaw said: “The result at Dingwall wasn’t what we wanted but it wasn’t a disaster either.
“With Aberdeen losing and Rangers winning it was a mixed feeling when we came off the park.
“It comes down to the last five games and they will be massive – there’s so much to play for. We’re looking forward to it and the supporters are too.”
Shaw took one simple instruction from gaffer Lennon as the last throw of the dice in Dingwall: Score a goal – and he duly delivered.
He said: “The manager said, ‘We need you – go and get a goal’ before putting me on so it was great to score. As a striker you always want to be on the pitch and scoring so I was happy to repay the manager.
“The gaffer showed a bit of intent by throwing me on with Danny Swanson and, thankfully, we were able to combine and get the equaliser. The way we came back showed our character.”