BY DARREN JOHNSTONE @CCP_Sport
Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs insists his team have the mental strength that is required to take the chequered flag in the Championship.
Prior to Stubbs’ arrival in summer 2014, the Leith outfit had been irked by accusations that they were bottlers after suffering high-profile defeats, mostly notably the play-off final loss to Hamilton that condemned them to relegation.
But Stubbs was left waxing lyrical about his side’s character when they rescued a last-gasp point against Falkirk on Saturday, despite being down to nine men due to John McGinn’s red card and Lewis Stevenson’s late head injury.
Hibs are likely to need that positive mindset in the coming months with the title face turning into a fierce battle between themselves and Rangers, who are currently three points clear at the summit.
Stubbs, whose side travel to Rangers on December 28 after hosting Queen of the South on Saturday, admits he could not be happier with his squad.
He said: “I honestly do believe we gained against Falkirk, we have gained because we’ve gained more than a result.
“We’ve gained a lot mentally from it.
“We showed a brilliant amount of character after the game did not go our way.
“It started with John getting sent off and then we conceded from making a mistake.
“It’s one of these that it can have a real affect on the team and everyone can feel down but we’ve come a long way and the response was fantastic.
“It was of those days that everything has gone against us and we’ve still managed to come through it and that speaks volumes.
“I’m hoping it’s one of those games that you look back on the season and you think of a game that was a pivotal moment, and I’m hoping it’s one of those.
“There’s going to be a few twists and turns and there is a long way to go.”
