Alan Stubbs hoping to avoid exodus at Hibs

Hibernian head coach Alan Stubbs does not believe their promotion failure will spark an exodus of his players - but he side-stepped questions on his own future.

Hibs fell to a 3-2 defeat in their play-off second leg at Falkirk after losing a lead with 11 minutes remaining.

The 5-4 aggregate loss consigned Hibs to a third consecutive season in the Championship, not an attractive prospect for the likes of Scotland midfielder John McGinn and in-demand striker Jason Cummings.

Stubbs has recently been linked with the vacant managerial posts at Bolton and Blackburn but he would not discuss his own ambitions in the wake of Bob McHugh's injury-time winner.

"It's probably not the time to speak about that,'' he said.

"It's not about me right now, it's about the players and the club.

"Since I've come in I would say we have put things in place that will give the club a better chance of progressing forward.

"You look at the players we have brought to the club and there's real assets there.

"There are some very gifted young players and we'll have discussions with them over the coming weeks but the players from day one with me and me with them we have had a clear pathway of what we want to do, and right now I don't see any of them wanting to necessarily leave because of what has happened.

"I think it will drive them forward even more.''

Falkirk started the better team and Blair Alston put them ahead but James Keatings netted twice in three minutes after the half-hour mark, the first from the spot after being fouled by David McCracken.

Hibs took control and looked comfortable but Luke Leahy struck a spectacular equaliser and McHugh swept home after a long throw.

"It's a really cruel way to lose any game,'' Stubbs said.

"I thought when we were in front at 2-1, we looked in control.

"We seemed to have grabbed hold of the game and it looked like the game was starting to drift away from Falkirk.

"The lad had a great strike and we dealt with all the throw-ins and free-kicks into the box well for the majority of the night, but the most important one we haven't.''

Falkirk boss Peter Houston felt his team were rewarded for putting two central defenders forward for the crucial throw-in.

"It was a tough, tough match,'' he added. Admittedly they have got better quality than us but not as much character and desire. We have that in abundance.

"Not for the first time this season we have shown that character and desire and willingness to go that extra yard that gets us the result. Because we could have sat on it and took extra-time and left our centre-backs back, but we went for it.

"They never know when they are beaten, this team.''