Lewis: A scrappy win? It was one of best in my career

Lewis Stevenson knows many saw Hibs’ 1-0 success at Hamilton last weekend as a bit scrappy – but he claims it was one of the best wins of his career.

Oli Shaw’s strike sank Accies and ensured Neil Lennon’s men brought their seven-game winless run to an end.

Long serving Stevenson reckons it has given the Easter Road side a huge lift ahead of Celtic’s visit today.

The left-back said: “It’s the best I’ve felt after a game for a while. It almost felt like a cup win.

“It’s hard to compare but it’s just a nice feeling when you sit on the bus afterwards and I think that it helps for the next week as well.

“It’s not a nice feeling when you’re on a run like we were.

“You feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You keep looking and thinking, ‘Where’s a win going to come, how are we going to get it?’

“But we stuck together. We had a few honest words with each other and that helped.

“We’ve managed to finally get a win and we needed it as a team, it wasn’t just something we wanted.

“It was massive game for us and a massive three points.

“This is a huge part of the season now before the winter break and we want to get ourselves further up the league, so we know it’s going to be five or six cup finals coming up for us.”

Stevenson may find himself going head to head with in-form James Forrest today.

With the Celtic winger fresh from a double against Kilmarnock last weekend and scoring five for Scotland against Israel and Albania in the Nations League, it is not a challenge that Stevenson is relishing. He said: “James has been brilliant over the last few seasons. He’s got a bit of everything and he’s flying.

“If I do come up against him, I know I’m going to be in for a tough game. He’s probably your hardest player to play against.

“He’s very hard to mark. You can’t get too tight or he’ll spin in behind, and if you give him too much time he can go both ways.

“I don’t want to say I’ve done well against him in the past because that could change!” Stevenson is well aware that even if he can put the blocks on Scotland pal Forrest, Celtic have plenty of other attacking threats.

He added: “They have got quality all around the pitch.

“Sometimes their team maybe looks as if it’s too attacking but it’s been working well for them.

“Hopefully they’ll have a wee dip in form and maybe we can snatch something.”

Hibs assistant boss Garry Parker has been in the spotlight recently, deputising for gaffer Lennon in media roles. But Stevenson insists there is much more to him.

He said: “You know where you stand with him. He’s very blunt but he has got a jovial side where he does bring a lift to the place. He and the gaffer dovetail well.”