BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press
Hibs defender Liam Fontaine is determined to pile the pressure on Rangers when the capital club face Raith Rovers – a day before the Gers are in action.
The fixture schedule has handed Alan Stubbs’ side the perfect opportunity to cut the gap at the summit of the Championship to five points.
The Ibrox outfit face a testing trip to Paisley to face St Mirren at Sunday lunchtime as they look to defend their 100 per cent league record.
Hibs host Rangers in a mouth-watering meeting next weekend – but Fontaine believes they could deliver an even earlier test of their rivals’ mettle by registering a victory in Fife.
He said: “Rangers have not really had any pressure because they’ve made such a good start. We go first, and if we can get the win then it’s going to put a little bit of pressure on them.
“It is up to us to put our three points on the board and, if we do that, then they have to go out on Sunday and respond.
“It’s still early in the season and we still have to play Rangers a few times. It’s going to be great couple of weeks for the club.”
However, three points are far from a certainty against the Championship’s dark horses this season.
Raith have a 100 per cent record at Stark’s Park under Ray McKinnon and have only conceded one goal in their five league games in Kirkcaldy.
Fontaine continued: “They have a great home record to be fair to them. You always expect them to be well organised especially when they come up against us.”
The clash in Kirkcaldy will see Fontaine cross swords with former teammate Scott Robertson.
The former Scotland internationalist, who left the club in the close season after two-and-a-half years, was a popular figure in the Hibs dressing room and is now plying his trade in Fife following an ill-fated stint in Romania.
He added: “It Will be great to see him. Scott was a great lad and was a massive part of us last season.
“Some of the lads still speak to him. We know what to expect, he is hard battling, high energy, high work-rate midfielder – so it’s going to be a great battle in the middle of the park.”
