Hibs boss sees problems at BOTH ends of park after Hearts loss - Gray reaction

SNS Group

David Gray was left bemoaning failings at both ends of the park as Hibs suffered their first defeat under his leadership. And the new gaffer criticised his team’s lack of desire at the crucial moment in their 1-0 Premier Sports loss to Kelty Hearts in Fife.

Speaking after seeing his team concede the only goal of the game to a short-corner routine, a real sucker punch in a game when the visitors had spurned numerous chances, Gray said of the goal: “That was just a lack of concentration. Switching off. The ball went out, we don’t adjust quickly enough.

“That’s just about a desire and a mindset to defend your goal, to make sure you defend things properly. Credit to them, they had the appetite. Their guy was desperate to get his head on it – and he scored.

“We’ve been very good at that in pre-season and the first two games. But we need to learn from that quickly.

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“It’s very disappointing. If you don’t take your chances, you give the opposition an opportunity to stay in the game.

“And then they take their chance. We switch off at the corner – and get punished for it.

“We had plenty of chances during the game. And it’s not good enough.

“It is disappointing because we had been clinical in the first two games. But more annoying is the fact that the chances we had were really good chances. We can’t have as many as that and not take them.

“I’m very disappointed that they switched off at the corner. The manner in which we lose the goal, a free header in the six-yard box, at any level that’s not good enough. It’s something we need to work on, definitely.

“Kelty then put their bodies on the line, we showed a lack of quality in the box, no composure on our part has kept them in the game. We huffed and puffed without creating enough.”

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Admitting that his team’s profligacy in front of goal underlined their need for a new striker, Gray said: “I think the more quality you have in that area of the pitch, the better. The more competition for places, the better.

“No-one is shying away from the fact that we need players in the forward areas. That’s what we’re working hard to add. We need to be far more clinical and far more composed in front of goal.”