Gray hails Leith men’s response to derby pain
DAVID GRAY praised the reaction of the Hibernian players as they shrugged off the double disappointment of a derby defeat and the sacking of manager Shaun Maloney to get the better of St Mirren.
Ewan Henderson’s goal ensured Gray’s second stint as caretaker boss got off to a winning start and ended any possibility of Hibs being relegated this season.
Gray admitted it had been a difficult week following the Scottish Cup semi-final exit at Hampden and then Maloney’s departure but felt the team had bounced back in the right manner.
The former defender said: ‘The message was that we need to finish the season as well as we possibly can and use the disappointment of not achieving what we set out to do, which was a fourth-place finish and European football.
‘Nobody’s shied away from that, we failed to achieve that, and the reaction has been fantastic. I think the performance and attitude towards the performance today showed that.
‘I enjoy winning, that’s the most important thing, and that’s the feeling and the message I just gave to the players, which is enjoy winning games of football.
‘It’s very tough at times, it’s very challenging, and ultimately you need to enjoy these moments when you do win because that’s the most important thing and that’s why we do it.’
Gray again played down the possibility of him taking on the job on a permanent basis come the summer.
He added: ‘The decision has absolutely nothing to do with me. I’ve said many times that this is all about a job I’ve been asked to do between now and the end of the season, which is to try to accumulate as many points as we can.
‘It’s been a good start because we got three points but our attention now turns to Livingston. My future’s irrelevant at the moment.’
St Mirren are now just five points clear of second-bottom St Johnstone who they play next weekend in a massive contest at McDiarmid Park.
Manager Stephen Robinson said: ‘I knew we needed points on the board, we didn’t get them.
‘But the boys are giving me absolutely everything. We’re just not getting the rub of the green.
‘I said to the boys that I’ll take the criticism as results haven’t been good enough since I came in.’