Plastic pitches and stormy Scottish weather - Hibs boss on Livi test

Monty takes Artificial Intelligence approach to sticky surface challenge

Rubber sole - Hibs have prepped for Livi's plastic.

Hibs have been training on the artificial surface at East Mains ahead of tomorrow’s contest on the plastic pitch at Livingston. And head coach Nick Montgomery says they’ve got the dreich Scottish weather to thank for honing their preparation.

Reports this week suggested that the SPFL could BAN Scottish Premiership clubs from playing on plastic. A number of clubs feel that teams able to train and play on the same artificial surface gives them a clear advantage over visiting sides.

The Hibees are looking to bounce back from Wednesday night’s 4-1 loss at Celtic Park. Having headed into that daunting contest on the back of three successive victories for the first time since February, Monty is keen to regain momentum.

And he revealed how freezing temperatures and heavy downpours had prompted a tweak to his training programme, saying: “We are fortunate to have a synthetic pitch at the training ground. With the grass pitches either frozen or waterlogged all week, we’ve been training on the synthetic surface for the last week.

“It’s good that we can do that because the ball does run a little bit differently. No excuses, it’s the same for everybody who goes there.

“For sure, for them it’s a strength. They train and play on that pitch, so they’re used to it. We’ve got to go there fully prepared for a tough battle tomorrow.

“It’s a tough place to go. Playing at home is a real strength for them and they make it really difficult for everyone who goes there. So we’re under no illusions. It’s going to be a tough game and we have to give them the respect we deserve.

“We also have to concentrate on playing the way we’ve been playing. Because we want to get back on a run going into this Christmas period.

“I would love to just keep playing on. I would prefer not to have the break if we’ve got a bit of momentum. We’ve had a lot of breaks over the past two years, with the World Cup and a lot of qualifiers.”