Alan Stubbs insists Hibs have staying power to maintain play-off push
Alan Stubbs insisted his side have the staying power to keep up the fight for promotion to the Premership after overcoming Raith Rovers.
Alan Stubbs insisted his side have the staying power to keep up the fight for promotion to the Premership after overcoming Raith Rovers.
John McGinn and Darren McGregor scored in a 2-0 win over Raith at Easter Road as the Hibees advanced to the play-off semi-final against Falkirk with a 2-1 aggregate win, with the Bairns visiting Leith on Tuesday night before the return game on Friday.
It has been a busy season for the Edinburgh side due to reaching two cup finals - the William Hill Scottish Cup final against Rangers is at Hampden Park on May 21 - and they may have another five matches this season to play.
But Stubbs insists his players are ready for them.
Asked if it might come down to stamina over quality, the former Everton and Celtic defender said: “If it is, the players have got good stamina.
“We don't look like a team who looks tired.
“We wanted four (play-off) games but we got six and we need to do whatever we need to do to get over the line.
“The players will come in and do the recovery, we will look after them, massage them and get them prepared. We move on to game 52.”
Stubbs appeared irked when asked if his players had picked up on tension emanating from the Hibs supporters as Rovers pushed for the goal that would have taken the tie into extra time.
He said: “I have never been to a football ground where I have never seen tension and everyone just seems to jump on the back of it.
“Try to play in front of 62,000, try to play at Goodison in front of 40,000, there is tension and players need to deal with it.
“But for some reason people seem to think there is only tension at one football club and when it happens they are very quick to say it.
“The players did great today. They answered a lot of questions for this tie.
“We move on to another two difficult games and it will be the same. If anyone doesn't think there will be tension in these types of games, then I don't know what they expect to see in the games.”
Defeat for the Kirkcaldy club has left the door open for Dundee United to make a move for boss Ray McKinnon, to whom they have been strongly linked.
However, the former United midfielder said: “As it stands I am the Raith Rovers manager. I have another year at Raith.
“Nothing has changed. I can't foresee the future, I would rather speak about how good my players were today.
“We had Hibs on the back foot for the second-half and with a bit of luck we might have got something out of that game.
“I have no complaints, they gave everything. Hibs got a wicked deflection to get the lead and the set-piece has undone us.
“There are no words to describe how horrible it is, the players are devastated because they have given everything.
“But credit to Hibs, they are a top side, great players and a very good manager and I wish them well.”