Hibernian

Watch highlights as St Mirren draw 2-2 against Hibs in the Scottish Premiership.

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• Hibernian have lost 25 points from winning positions in the Premiership this season, only Dundee (28) have lost more.

• St. Mirren are undefeated in their last 5 games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 6th August 2023 to 30th September 2023, a run of 7 games.

• Martin Boyle has contributed to goals in his last 3 games in the Premiership (3 goals, 0 assists).

• Martin Boyle has scored 14 goals in the Premiership this season (1 in this game), more than any other Hibernian player.

• St. Mirren have scored in their last 5 games in the Premiership, their joint longest scoring streak this season.

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Were you in Paisley or following the match at home?

Either way - we want to hear your views on Hibernian's 2-2 draw with St Mirren - have your say here.

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Two assists for Junior Hoilett who was superb tonight.

He played a lovely pass through to tee up Martin Boyle's opener and he was again the provider for Hibs' second.

His perfect cross set up Mykola Kuharevich to double the visitors' lead in what was one of their best first half displays of the season.

And a special mention for Martin Boyle who caused the St Mirren defence problems all night. His sharp finish put his side ahead within three minutes, before he had another effort ruled offside and could have put the game away in a one-on-one with Zach Hemming all inside the first twenty minutes.

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Hibs manager David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "It's an incredible achievement, especially when you think back to how the season's went, the start we made, finding ourselves at the bottom of the league.

"So, to turn that around, the hard work, the dedication, the commitment, the togetherness, all the things you need for a successful team, I've definitely got that from my players this season and they've given me absolutely everything.

"I'm delighted for the players, and I'm delighted for the club because I think they deserve it.

"It's always the objective at the start of the season. Top six is an absolute minimum but can you finish in Europe and can you have a good run and try and win a cup?

"Unfortunately, we didn't get quite the luck of the draw in the cups, but to go and finish third with the big two and how powerful they are and everything that goes with that, it's almost like winning the league for us.

On securing European football next season: "It's why you would want to come and play for Hibs, to try and get into the European stuff. You've seen what Hearts did in Europe this year.

"You want to test yourself against good players and different ways of playing, and I've said it to a lot of the players that when you're down south potentially you don't always have a fantastic career but never play in Europe so this is something that is brilliant on your CV, it's a brilliant different experience.

"I've been fortunate enough to have a couple of games myself and they're brilliant nights to be involved in and it's brilliant for the club as well."

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Hibs defender Warren O'Hora admits Wednesday's Premiership trip to St Mirren carries a "little bit more magnitude" as they attempt to secure a third-place league finish.

The Easter Road outfit have only achieved that feat three times in the 21st century, under Alex McLeish in 2001, Tony Mowbray in 2005 and Jack Ross in 2021.

David Gray's side are three points clear of Aberdeen in fourth with a vastly superior goal difference, meaning a win in Paisley would effectively secure third spot.

"It is an exciting game for us to be involved in, it will definitely be a tough game as St Mirren have it all to play for as well," O'Hora said.

"These are the types of games that players want to play in, especially in this league and at this club.

"St Mirren have done very well against us this season and have taken a lot of points off us, so we are using that as an incentive.

"If we were to go over there and beat them then that would be a big moment for us this season. It would mean we have beaten every team in the league this season, I don't know the last time that has happened for Hibs.

"The end goal is to achieve European football next season so the incentive is there for us. You always want to win every game, but this game definitely has that little bit more magnitude."

Even if they fail to finish the job against St Mirren, Hibs will have another opportunity to secure third place against Rangers on Saturday given their goal-difference advantage.

"It is all in our hands," said O'Hora. "We are in control of our destiny and our own outcome, that is what every player wants. We will be going into the game knowing that if we win this game, it will put us in a really strong position.

"We want to finish this season as strongly as possible with two wins. We owe the fans that for the way they have stuck with us this season.

"To get the job done and secure third would be a big moment for us. We are going into the game with the right mentality."

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• St Mirren have avoided defeat in all six of their league matches against Hibs since the start of last season (W4 D2); they had lost three in a row against Hibs before this.

• Hibs have only lost two of their past 12 Scottish Premiership away games at St Mirren (W7 D3), although are winless in their last three (D2 L1).

• St Mirren have only lost their final home league game in one of their past nine top-flight seasons (W3 D5 - including curtailed 2019-20 season), although are winless in their last four (D3 L1).

• Hibs have only won their final away game in one of their past eight top-flight seasons (D2 L5 - including curtailed 2019-20 season), a 1-0 win at Aberdeen in 2020-21.

• St Mirren have won three of their past four home league games (D1), as many as their previous 11 beforehand (W3 D2 L6).

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St Mirren captain Mark O'Hara will have a late fitness test, while Owen Oseni remains unavailable.

Hibernian pair Joe Newell and Rudi Molotnikov (both groin) are still out but Kwon Hyeok-kyu is available to return.

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

Despite the defeat at Parkhead, Hibs came out of last weekend's fixtures in a marginally stronger position than we went into it.

St Mirren's win over Dundee United means we can't finish lower than fourth, and with Aberdeen's defeat damaging their goal difference more than Celtic did to Hibs', it means Hibs will finish in third place if they better or match Aberdeen's result against Celtic when we face St Mirren on Wednesday night.

Nicky Cadden won the club's men's player of the year award on Sunday night; he's had a great impact on the team and is a deserving winner.

My own vote went for Jack Iredale, but I could have picked from four or five players, so there are no complaints for 'Nadden' picking up the award. He can feel slightly aggrieved at not winning the 'moment of the season' award for his injury time equaliser against Aberdeen in November.

Aberdeen, of course, went ahead again that night, only for Rocky Bushiri to steal a late equaliser with seconds to spare and subsequently pick up the award.

It was a pivotal moment in the team's season, and it's brilliant to see Rocky get the recognition after also picking up the players' player of the year award. We're all hopeful he extends his stay at Easter Road beyond this summer.

Finally, the Hibernian family were rocked with the sad news that Sir Tom Farmer had died on Saturday morning. Sir Tom is a hugely significant figure in Hibs' history, stepping in at a time of crisis to save the club from the clutches of then Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer, who sought to wipe the club out.

Not only did Sir Tom keep the lights on at Hibs, but he also facilitated the rebuild of Easter Road into the modern ground we have today - the biggest football stadium in Scotland's capital - and the build of our training centre in East Lothian.

He also helped deliver, finally, the Scottish Cup in 2016. The Hibs support will be eternally grateful to Sir Tom and my thoughts go to his family and friends.

Matty can be found at Longbangers, external

Rocky Bushiri embraces the pressure facing Hibernian as they seek to seal third place in the Scottish Premiership. (Record), external

European participation "would mean a lot" to Hibs' Chris Cadden after missing out through injury in the past. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Defender Rocky Bushiri admits he "got a bit emotional" after being named Hibernian's players' player of the year.

The 25-year-old has had a roller-coaster spell at Easter Road but has been crucial for the high-flying Leith side this term as they sit third in the Scottish Premiership.

"I got a bit emotional," Bushiri told HibsTV, external. "I'm very pleased [with my performances], but I want to analyse my season at the end when we've got the job done.

"I will keep focused until the end then there will be time to be happy."

Hibs have a three-point cushion in third prior to the final two games, with David Gray's men travelling to St Mirren on Wednesday before hosting Rangers on Saturday.

"I'm very excited," Bushiri added. "It's a beautiful pressure. Pressure is a privilege.

"It's the most important week of our season and of our lives for some. I hope we will do it."

Martin Boyle has told Hibernian the ball is in their court as he awaits a decision over his future, with the Australia forward out of contract within weeks and with options in the A-League. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch highlights as champions Celtic win 3-1 against third-place Hibs in the Scottish Premiership. (Available to UK users only)

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Martin Boyle says he would be happy to stay at Hibs beyond the summer as it's a club "close to my heart".

Head coach David Gray said on Friday the club have held "positive" talks with Australia forward Boyle, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

"It's been put on hold. I'm just kind of focusing on the last two games of the season," Boyle, 32, told BBC Scotland.

"I am out of contract but we'll see what happens. We'll assess it at the end of the season.

"The club do have a clause to trigger so it's kind of out of my hands. I can't go demanding contracts so we'll see what happens. I've put myself in a good position of scoring goals and creating a lot so we'll see what happens.

"Of course I would [be happy if the clause was triggered]. It's a club close to my heart. I've been here for nearly 10 years now and obviously we want to try and get European football so that would be a good achievement for myself that we haven't done.

"My wife's the captain of the Hibs ladies team our daughters love the club but like you say, it's football, it can be ruthless at times but we'll certainly see what happens."

Boyle admits the prospect of group-stage European football is a massive lure. Hibs remain in third place despite a 3-1 defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday where they led through Boyle's opener before trailing at the break after conceding twice in four minutes.

"It would be nice to have group-stage football," he added.

"It would be great for the club, the attraction of the club. It would be special but we've got two massive games to come to secure that so fingers crossed we can."

On the loss to Celtic, he added: "We gave ourselves a good amount of hope. Obviously we went 1-0 up, but make mistakes and you get punished. So we need to learn from that.

"If you take your eye off the ball you can get punished in an instant here."

We asked for your views on Hibs' 3-1 defeat against Celtic.

Here's what some of you said:

Sandy: The 3-1 loss despite Martin Boyle's goal putting us ahead isn't really a surprise. I did not expect Brendan Rodgers to put out a team like he did. It would grace the Champions League, but Hibs will get over the result. Onwards and upwards.

George: Not the result we hoped for, but, given the quality Celtic have across their squad, result is probably about right. At times, Celtic looked like they had 14 players on the pitch, so easily did they find players in acres of space. We played well in phases, and occasionally a bit of luck seemed to desert us or we played the wrong pass. Two to go, and three or four points from those should see us home and hosed in third.

Bill: To get the first goal was great, but two losses by half-time exposed Rocky Bushiri quite badly. We needed substitutions at half-time, but waiting until 3-1 was much too late. I feel the starting line up was too weak, same as versus Aberdeen.

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• Celtic are undefeated in their past four games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 5 January to 15 February, a run of seven games.

• Hibs have lost after scoring the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 23 November 2024 against Dundee (14 games without defeat).

• Celtic have won after conceding the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 6 October 2024 against Ross County (five games without a win).

• Jordan Smith made five saves, the first time he has made at least five saves in a match in the Premiership since facing St Mirren on 16 February (six saves).

Hibs head coach David Gray: "The timing of the [first] goal is against us, that was the killer today. Celtic will always have periods when they dominate and we knew that.

"Coming in 2-1 down was a big blow mentally for the players. The goals we lose we have to look at because they were quite soft from our point of view. The reaction second half was positive, but the third goal takes the stuffing out of the game.

"Everyone knows what's at stake, it's the final push of the season, three games in a week. It's about who's got the mentality and I believe the group is good enough to do it."

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Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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David Gray brought Josh Campbell into the side in the hope of getting more legs into the Hibernian midfield and that looked a shrewd change after a brief period of early pressing.

However, too often the visitors were too easy to play through as Celtic continually exploited their high line in the first half.

But even in such a pressurised stage of the season, this is not a result or performance that should cause panic for Hibs.

Their squad strength is something that could see them over the line in the race for third as the second-half introductions of Kieron Bowie, Nicky Cadden and Junior Hoilett raised their game.

Within seconds of coming on, Bowie failed to connect with Cadden's stunning cross before Hoilett struck straight at Kasper Schmeichel from a dangerous position, but Gray's men were unable to find the goal that would have mounted late pressure.

Were you at Celtic Park or following the match elsewhere?

Either way, we want your views on Hibernian's 3-1 defeat at Parkhead – have your say here.

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Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is back in training after a shoulder injury and Nicolas Kuhn is fit again.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston remain sidelined while Dane Murray (knee) is out for the season.

Hibernian forward Elie Youan is back in contention after injury but on-loan Celtic midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu is unable to face his parent club while captain Joe Newell and Rudi Molotnikov (both groin) are still out.

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hibs have held "positive" talks with Martin Boyle as they look to secure the Australia forward on a new deal.

The 32-year-old, who is in his second spell at Easter Road, is out of contract this summer and reportedly attracting interest from clubs in Australia's A-League.

"There's been real positive chats with all the [out-of-contract] players, Martin is one of them," said head coach David Gray.

"There's been a lot of positive conversations about futures and where we think the club can go next season and everything else that comes with that.

"We've got a week to go until the end of the season and I'm sure everything will be unveiled after that.

"Right now he's fully focused on playing and my job is to make sure I get the best out of him all the time.

"I'm delighted with where he is mentally, where he is with his performance levels.

"It's just the consistency with it as well, he sometimes gets overlooked or not talked about too much because people see the personality side to him or don't think he's too serious because he likes a laugh or a joke.

"He's very professional in terms of how he goes about his business when he does work. He's been very consistent affecting games of football at this level for a number of years."

Boyle has made 41 appearances this season, scoring 17 goals and contributing 10 assists.

And Gray says the forward has "massively matured" as a result of standing in as skipper during Joe Newell's injury lay-off.

"I think it's 27 goal involvements this season which is some return," added the Hibs boss.

"He had a bit of a slow start to the season with an injury and playing through that but he's massively matured with the extra responsibility this season, he's took that on really well.

"I'm seeing that in his performances right now, his output, his level of commitment, especially the off-the-ball stuff which is not something the fans will always see, but it's something that his team-mates are appreciating.

"I'd like him to stay, he's been fantastic. Going into his 10th season, that's another thing, he's delivered for this football club for a number of years and he's done really well."