Jack Ross urges Hibs players to improve mindset after throwing away another lead

Jack Ross wants his players to get better at winning games from winning positions

Frustrated Jack Ross admits Hibs must improve their mindset when they get in front after they threw away a lead for the seventh time in their last 11 games against Ross County last night.

The Easter Road side led through Christian Doidge’s first-half goal in Dingwall and looked comfortable for most of the first hour before the hosts fought back to win 2-1 through a double from Ross Stewart.

This setback in the Highlands came just four days after Hibs threw away a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 at home to Kilmarnock. Ross admits their inability to make their superiority count in matches needs addressed urgently.

“We didn’t play as well as we did on Saturday but, similar to Saturday, we put ourselves in a good position and were comfortable in the game,” said the manager.

“The equaliser was probably a turning point to a degree but even then I didn’t think we were under huge amounts of pressure. To not win the game, or take anything from it, from a winning position is hugely frustrating.

'We need to be better at winning games from winning positions'

“We can’t hide away from the fact that we need to be better at winning games from winning positions. In my short time here we’ve now had a couple of occasions when we’ve been in good positions - Saturday and tonight - and we’ve only taken one point from six.

"As a club, we could have a good case for saying it should be six from six in terms of how we played for large parts of the games. It’s something we can’t ignore and we have to rectify and get better at. If we do get better, then we’ll be in a good place.”

Hibs squandered a lead in five of the last six league matches of Paul Heckingbottom’s reign and have now failed to triumph from a winning position in eight of their 15 Premiership matches. Ross admits it is paramount that they work on improving their mentality.

“I have only worked with the players for a short period of time so I have to look at what I have done first and foremost,” he said.

“It’s a collective thing, but the reality is the stats this season speak for themselves in terms of losing too many points from winning positions.

“Mindsets in sport are such an important part of the game. If you constantly come back from losing positons do you have a resolve about you? Probably yes.

"So if you keep giving up winning positions it is a worry, perhaps. The game is played with feet and also a lot in the head. Acknowledging you have a problem is the first bit, dealing with it is the trickier bit.”

Newell update

Ross made one change to his starting lineup at the Global Energy Stadium, with Martin Boyle replacing Joe Newell.

The manager confirmed this was due to an injury for the Englishman.

“He picked up a calf injury in training on Tuesday,” he said. “He travelled with us but it worsened overnight.”