Hibs star admits a 'fear factor' kicked into Celtic defeat but one positive emerges ahead of cup showdown

Hibernian's Warren O'Hora and Celtic's Mikey Johnston in action | SNS Group

Warren O’Hora says Sunday’s clash with Celtic was an eye-opener for Hibs players like him coming into Scottish football.

The centre-back was one of five summer signings to be involved against the Premiership champions, who were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to Nicolas Kuhn and Callum McGregor strikes. There was no more scoring to be had in the second 45 minutes but allowing Kuhn to put the Hoops ahead inside three minutes proved a bitter pill to swallow.

O’Hora admits the speed of the Celtic players was eye-opening as he and centre-back partner Marvin Ekpiteta were left with the unenviable task of stopping Kyogo. Improvement is needed as the same opposition await in the Premier Sports Cup last 16 away from home this Sunday, but one positive in a second half clean sheet can be taken.

He said: “It’s a tough one to take. Losing the first home league game is never nice. We concede way too early in the first half and concede against shortly after that. Against the league champions you can’t afford to do that. I thought the second half was much better.

“I felt we got in their faces a bit, got into some good areas. Defended as a team much better. Look, they are a good squad with good players and you know they are going to have chances and get into good areas. I felt in the second half, it’s the way we should have started the game.

“That is what we said in the dressing room at half time and we did. We showed that in the second half and the positive is we play them again on Sunday and we have a clean sheet in the second half. It’s the way we have to look at it.

“The speed, the physicality is different and something we have to get up to and me personally have to get up to. That is why I have come to this club and this league as I want to play the best in this league, this country. I want this club to be up there with teams like that and that’s what we are excelling to be.

“It’s an eye-opener but I felt we did well enough in the second half to maybe nick a goal and maybe nick something out the game. It didn’t go that way for us and there is a cup game against them on Sunday at Celtic Park. Anything can happen.”

With plenty of new faces in the building, and those already there adapting to a new head coach’s methods, O’Hora is aware of the teething issues this Hibs squad will go through. First half pain was evidence of that but a long game is being played with new signings getting up to speed.

He explained: “It’s a process. It’s all new and we are a new-enough squad. We have brought in some boys and the gaffer has been brilliant with me personally. He’s been brilliant with all the new boys no doubt about it.

“In training he is working hard with us but it’s just the crucial moments on the pitch that we let ourselves down in. The second goal we are not tight enough and it goes in the top corner. You put your hands up and say we need to be tighter. To concede the first so early, it’s an uphill battle. It’s short-term pain no doubt about it, we will sleep on it and we will analyse what went wrong, what went right, and try to put it right on Sunday.”

Bravery on the ball was also something that O’Hora thought eluded Hibs in the first half. It resulted in frank dressing room frustrations at the interval but an improved second 45 showing on that front provides some optimism ahead of cup battling in Glasgow’s east-end.

“I think it was maybe a fear factor because of who we were playing. Second half you can see we start playing some nice passages of play, nice touches and getting into good areas. You didn’t see that in the first half and that is why we were so frustrated at half-time. It wasn’t part of the plan, the plan was to show some courage on the ball and we didn’t show that in the first half.

“Second half we did and look, we have to put it right for Sunday. That is the way we have to approach the game. If you go in 0-0, everyone is patting each other on the back and saying there is nothing to be afraid of.

“You go in 2-0 and it’s a hard game no matter who you play to get a result and turn it around. We really had a go in the second half and I feel the fans stuck behind us which is something we’ll need for Sunday.”