Hibs given kudos by rival as European challenge from Leith addressed amid clear objective

Motherwell captain Paul McGinn has acknowledged former side Hibs’ place in the race to fourth - but insisted Fir Park focus is currently on a form turnaround.

The Steelmen have impressed under Jens Berthel Askou this season but have lost three of their last four Premiership matches as they continue to occupy the final European spot. Losing 3-2 to Falkirk at the weekend allowed Hibs to narrow the gap to just three points with their 3-0 success against Kilmarnock.

League leaders Hearts now await Motherwell at Tynecastle while Hibs face out-of-form Aberdeen in the Granite City this weekend. McGinn - who featured at Easter Road between 2020-2022 - knows David Gray’s side have inserted themselves into the fight for fourth but a good end to the season can help those in claret and amber earn reward for their efforts.

Can Hibs finish fourth in the Premiership?

Former Hibs star McGinn said: “Hibs are a good team, but we have to make sure that we finish well for it to be a really good season. We need to put this to bed and start putting in a run the other way. Falkirk just outplayed us. They were the better team and played the high press well.

"Conceding the early goal and then having to chase the game wasn't ideal. They had some really good efforts like the Calvin Miller one from 30 yards. That's four now without a win so we need to get going again. We normally dominate games when we play out from the back, I don't think we can blame that.

"Falkirk made mistakes at the back too but we didn't punish them. They won a lot of the second balls and did the ugly side of the game, and that's what we need to look at. The manager isn't like that, he's more considered.

Jens Berthel Askou on Motherwell 2-3 Falkirk

"I've only seen him angry the very odd time. He thinks it's counter intuitive. It probably is but we're Scottish so we might disagree! He's very calm and he'll not panic, just like he didn't panic when we had our bad start to this season."

Askou had said after the defeat: "Falkirk deserve all the credit they've had. They're a brilliant football team and I put them up there among the best. Congratulations to them for the win and what they've achieved so far. I think they deserve it. In terms of intentions, willpower, work rate, our performance was good but there were a lot of moments where we should have been better.

“Both in attacking moments, leading to attacks, but also there were moments to score goals we didn't take but there were moments we lost the ball in critical places where we have to be better. When we play against the best then we need, sometimes, the things we cannot control to also go our way, so far this season that has not happened. I have been hoping that, eventually, it will go our way.”