Galbraith: Hibs level of play against Gers must be repeated in Aberdeen

A point against Rangers would have been nice, all three even better, but as far as Hibs star Danny Galbraith is concerned, a win over Aberdeen this weekend is imperative.

Nikica Jelavic’s two goals pushed the Easter Road outfit into joint bottom place in the SPL table alongside the Dons and Dunfermline on 14 points, with only goal difference giving their respective positions some semblance of order.

Hibs’ situation is grim but new boss Pat Fenlon and his players will no doubt realise it could have been even poorer had Aberdeen and Inverness Caley, a solitary point above the other three, both managed to hold onto their two-goal leads.

It may even take another turn for the worse, depending on how Craig Brown’s players get on in their rearranged match with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park tonight. Whatever the outcome, Hibs will have the small comfort of holding a game in hand over Aberdeen, but Galbraith is in no doubt as to the importance of Saturday’s lunchtime clash at Pittodrie.

Agreeing that some of Hibs’ best performances this season have been reserved for their matches against Rangers and Celtic, the midfielder said: “It’s all right raising your game for the Old Firm but those results are not going to determine where we finish at the end of the season.

“We have to take points from the teams in and around us and immediately above us. That makes Pittodrie this weekend definitely bigger than the Rangers game. It’s a massive one, Aberdeen are in very close proximity to us so we need to get a win and hopefully open up a wee gap between us and them, and maybe one or two of the others.

“In an ideal world we would have taken something from Rangers, a point would have been nice, all three even better, but it’s gone and we have to look to the next match and that’s Aberdeen.

“After that we’ve got Dundee United and Inverness, two massive games, so hopefully we can go to Aberdeen, hopefully have something to show for it and then look forward to the next ones, they are all equally important.”

In the wake of the Rangers defeat, Fenlon expressed his belief that if is players can produce the sort of performance they displayed against the Ibrox club on a weekly basis, then Hibs should be able to dig themselves out of trouble.

But in almost the same breath the Irishman revealed how his assistant Billy Brown had warned him his side had played well against the Old Firm but allowed their standards to slip the following week.

Galbraith admitted as much but insisted there was a determination among his team-mates to ensure that doesn’t prove to be the case this time. He said: “It’s vital we don’t suffer a dip, getting something from Rangers and Celtic are really just bonus points, it’s picking them up against the teams close to you which makes the difference.”

Although Hibs have won just three of their 17 matches so far, Galbraith agreed with Fenlon’s assertion that there are grounds for optimism given their displays in the abandoned match at Motherwell and then against Rangers. But he also claimed circumstances seemed to be conspiring against the Easter Road side, citing events at Fir Park when Hibs were leading and then the debatable penalty awarded against Michael Hart as he tussled with Lee Wallace just at a point when Rangers appeared to be toiling to score.

Pointing out that decision was made barely two minutes after Hibs had seen a spot-kick claim of their own turned away by referee Iain Brines, Galbraith said: “It’s obvious that penalty has changed the game when you look back on it. I don’t think there was too much between the two teams at that stage. It was hard to take, especially when you consider Graham Stack didn’t have a save to make in the whole match.

“I felt we were doing well, it’s not as if Rangers had us under severe pressure. A lot of people said the penalty was debatable. It was one of those things, if it had happened at the other end we’d probably have been screaming for it while, in theory, we might have had one ourselves just before it.

“We just don’t seem to be getting the breaks, there was the abandoned match at Motherwell when we had our noses in front then we don’t get a penalty and Rangers get one two minutes later.”

Although Brines’ decision had a major bearing on proceedings, Galbraith agreed it could have been so different had team-mate Leigh Griffiths tucked away a gilt-edged chance on the stroke of half-time rather than steering a tame shot into the arms of Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

He said: “Obviously it was a massive chance, Leigh won’t need anyone to tell him. You’d expect him to score in that sort of situation, that’s what he is good at. But everyone misses chances. I’m sure he’s scored in that situation before and I’m equally certain he’ll do it again.

“Jelavic’s second goal just added that wee bit extra misery for us. It was a sore one to take but we have to be able to bounce back, to take the positives from the way we played for 45 minutes at Motherwell and for the majority of the Rangers game.

“As the gaffer said, as long as we work hard and put in performances like that then we should win more games than we have been. He’ll be looking for the same standard to be maintained this weekend.”

Galbraith admitted Fenlon was still feeling his way having succeeded Colin Calderwood less than three weeks ago, but he believes the early signs are promising, He said: “It’s still early days, the gaffer is getting to know us and we are getting to know him.

“I think he just needs to get a look at us then we will probably see him start to shape his own team and get over the ideas which, hopefully, will be good for Hibs.”