I’m ready to take stick for the spat but let’s play on SAYS GREENOCK BOSS DUFFY
honest to say that we haven’t been firing on all cylinders over the last three or four weeks.
“Although our organisation and determination like we showed against Hibs has kept us in games we haven’t been as clinical as we would have liked in front of goal.
“We are still working hard, the attitude is very good, but we understand that we need to show a little bit more quality and creativity in that final third to get back to winning ways,” he added.
“A win against Hibs would put us almost in touching distance of the play-offs, it would be fantastic if we could manage that but they have a similar objective, a win for them and the title could be pretty much wrapped up.
HE ADDED: “Forget everything else, they have the best squad and the biggest squad, so many top class options in different positions.
“That is going to be the test for us. On your home patch, can you raise the bar again? Can you stay concentrated and organised and focused but add something to that?”
Meanwhile, Morton striker Gary Oliver insists there will be an edge to Saturday’s clash but only because both teams are vying for the title.
He said: “It’s still possible we can catch them and we’ve got to play one more game than them. We’re just trying to finish as high as we can.
“There will be a little edge just because of where we are in the league. They will be trying to put us to bed and get out of sight but we’re trying to get as close to them as possible.
“We’re playing the league leaders on Saturday and we’ll have to be on our A game if we want to take anything from it.” NEIL LENNON, the Hibernian manager, has described the date of his upcoming SFA disciplinary hearing as “unfair” because he believes it leaves him and his team in an avoidable disadvantaged position as it comes only 48 hours before their Scottish Cup semi-final with Aberdeen.
The Northern Irishman faces three charges for his part in the recent fracas involving Jim Duffy, the Morton manager, some of his players and coaching staff at Easter Road. As it stands all parties will go to Hampden on Thursday, April 20.
Lennon, who will try to get it moved, can’t understand why the hearing will take so long to take place when the decision to reduce his captain Darren McGregor’s red card to a yellow and, controversially, to clear Morton’s Kudus Oyenuga from diving have already been made.
Hibs go to Morton this Saturday, by some distance the game of the day in Scottish football, and while Lennon was not as animated as last week, he remained frustrated that his situation has been allowed to drag on.
He said: “I’m not happy with the date. I don’t understand why it can’t be done now, or on Monday or Tuesday. I will go and defend myself. I will look to get it delayed because if it’s on a Thursday before a semi final and they deem me guilty of something – whatever that is – then I miss the semi final.
“And I think that’s totally unfair. Bang out of order. Why is it delayed to the 20th? The players have been dealt with so why can’t we be dealt with? What more do they need to look at?
“Although to be fair Chick Young looked at it four times and blamed the fourth official. There was no fourth official [there are none in the Championship]. So that’s the kind of people that are commenting on what is going on. That’s the kind of opinions and guff I have to listen to.”
Lennon would much rather be working with his players than explaining his innocence to the disciplinary committee.
He said: “You could say that because we are playing a team who are in as good form as Celtic at the minute. The semifinal is very
“Here’s one for you. When I was at Celtic I got sent off at Tynecastle – rightly so – in October time for remonstrating with Steven MacLean. It was two months before Christmas but the hearing was in February or March and I ended up missing the League Cup Final.
“I was sat in the stand against Rangers because for some reason the process took months. If that’s the case we can wait until next season and do it.”