Ross happy with fitting finish by understudies
HIBERNIAN manager Jack Ross and his team skipped out of Easter Road b ound for Hampden on t he crest of a wave. They avoided defeat after resting so many of their key personnel, and escaped with a clean bill of health, s omething t heir Covid- hit opponents St Johnstone may not be able to enjoy.
“It was fitting to finish the season that way because we had so many players involved who haven’t played regularly,” said Ross.“With their contribution on the training pitch and the standards they’ve helped us to keep, it has helped us have a successful season.
“We had to be resilient and work incredibly hard today but I’m really pleased they got a reward from the game and got a point.
“We are fit and healthy with the numbers we’ve got. There’s a positive feeling around that dressing room that we’ve got to produce next weekend. But in our frame of mind we’re in the best possible place.”
The national stadium would have course been a much better place to be next week had supporters been allowed to attend, but the Hampden hokey-cokey ended with the fans sadly out. Much to Ross’ displeasure.
“There are lots of different answers I can give as a football manager and as a human being,” he said. “From a football perspective, we probably got a little bit excited all of a sudden at the thought of having people in the stadium. One to create an atmosphere and, two, as a reward for the supporters, albeit it would have been a minority of them. That’s been pulled away again.
“It doesn’t really change much from our point of view. It’s just a shame people’s hopes and expectations rose and they’ve been taken away quite quickly.”