Hibernian

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Hibs boss Nick Montgomery tells BBC Scotland: "It's really hard to explain how that happened but it's happened too many times to us this season, one shot on target and we concede from it.

"I think we could have had two or three goals today and the game could have been more than over way before that incident.

"Everybody is devastated in there, they put their heart and soul into the performance. We were 20 seconds away from still having a great chance to be in the top six so we will have to reflect on that now and move forward.

"I came in and the club was in a difficult position. I have done everything I possibly can.

"We brought in some very good players in January but as a club we have to reflect on the season.

"We can look back at all the things that have gone wrong and gone against us but we should have won the game today. I thought the boys were brave and played really well but we can only look back with regret now that we dropped too many points from games we should have won."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

It’s not been the easiest of times for Nick Montgomery following last weekend’s defeat to St Johnstone and Saturday was the chance to throw themselves a lifeline before Dundee’s game against Rangers on Wednesday.

The Hibs manager stressed before the game that his side were only focusing on what they could control and were going out to get all three points this afternoon and it looked like they were about to do just that, with the help of a soft penalty.

But as we’ve seen so often from Hibs this season, they couldn’t manage to see the game out. From their eight shots, four of which were on target, they only found the back of the net once and that was from the penalty spot.

The failure to secure top six will no doubt raise further questions of the manager who was already in a bit of trouble before this afternoon.

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Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, McGinn, Casey, Blaney, Gent, Miller, Zdravkovski, Spittal, Vale, Bair.

Substitutes: Oxborough, Mugabi, Halliday, Shaw, Nicholson, Moses, Ferrie, L. Ross, Butcher.

Hibernian: Marshall, Cadden, Fish, Bushiri, Obita, Newell, Moriah-Welsh, Marcondes, Boyle, Youan, Maolida.

Substitutes: Wollacott, Hanlon, Levitt, Vente, Stevenson, Le Fondre, Jair, Campbell, J. MacIntyre.

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Joe Newell says Saturday's game against Motherwell is a "must win" and they'll do everything they can to secure top six.

They potentially won't know their post-split future until after Dundee's game on Wednesday but Newell knows they should've had it secured before now.

"I'm treating it as a must-win game," he said.

"Partly because if we get in the top six we need to be chasing down the European spaces.

"If we do get over the line we're not just there to make up the numbers, we're there for fourth or fifth spot and one of those European places.

"It's been a very up and down season, a turbulent start and spells of good form and bad form.

"We're not deluded, we know we shouldn't be in this position, it was our intention to be in the top six and have it secured before this point.

"We are where we are because of results, all we can do is win the game on Saturday and hopefully it's enough."

Adam Devine (knee) is a doubt for Motherwell while Callum Slattery (knee), Harry Paton (ankle), Barry Maguire (chest) and Adam Montgomery (hamstring) are still sidelined.

Will Fish has recovered from a virus to take his place in the Hibernian squad. Dylan Vente has returned to training while Lewis Miller is maybe another week away as Luke Amos and Jake Doyle-Hayes make their way back to fitness.

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What the latest Dens Park call-off has done is ensure the stakes remain high at Fir Park, where eighth host seventh as both look to stay in the top-six hunt.

Motherwell must beat Hibs and hope sixth-placed Dundee take nothing from their visit to Aberdeen on Saturday or from their eventual meeting with Rangers.

Hibs must take one more point than Dundee manage over their remaining games to leapfrog the Dark Blues in sixth place.

While Motherwell kept their hopes alive with a dramatic comeback at Dens Park last weekend, Hibs suffered a dreadful home defeat to St Johnstone to surrender the initiative.

Now the Edinburgh side need to quell renewed disquiet from some fans over head coach Nick Montgomery and hope to end a run of four away games without a victory - and only one win in five overall.

Motherwell aim to bring fine away form - they have won three in a row on the road - to Fir Park if they are to end a run of three at home without a victory.

It will be tense and it may well be high-scoring, considering the fixture has produced 16 goals in the latest four meetings.

Motherwell are seeking a second top-six finish in three years, while a second failure for Hibs over the same period would heap pressure on Montgomery. It's make-or-break time.

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Nick Montgomery believes that the rearranged fixture between Dundee and Rangers will affect the "integrity" of the Scottish Premiership.

The twice postponed match will now take place after the final round of fixtures before the league's split.

Even if Nick Montgomery's side beat Motherwell this weekend and Dundee lose to Aberdeen, they will be forced to wait until Wednesday to find out whether or not they have a place in the top six.

“It’s disappointing [that] another game has been called off," said Montgomery.

"It probably just affects the last round [of fixtures] and the integrity of the competition.

“I saw the comments from Philippe Clement and Stuart [Kettlewell]. I’ve not really commented because it’s nothing really that I can control or that we can control.

"But everyone knew there was a real chance that game was going to be off. I think the forecast of rain later that afternoon meant it was going to be off.

“It’s such a shame there wasn’t an alternative venue arranged to play the game. Obviously for us, and for Rangers going into that game, you can understand Philippe's comments as well.

“It's nothing that we can control and doesn’t really affect our mindset going into the game because it’s a game we need to win.”

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland

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Hibs manager Nick Montgomery has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's pivotal clash at Motherwell with the Easter Road club's top-six hopes on the line

Here are the key points:

• Categorically states there is no truth in the rumours that he and his family are planning to move back to Australia.

• Believes he will be manager of the club regardless of the result at Fir Park on Saturday.

• Admits failing to finish in the top six may have an effect on the recruitment budget for next season, despite Bill Foley's incoming investment.

• Says he's confident his side can get the job done and pick up a win at Motherwell, while he'll also be keeping an eye on Dundee's result at Aberdeen.

• Dylan Vente and Jake Doyle-Hayes have both made returns to training, while Will Fish has recovered from illness. Lewis Miller will need "another week or two" before he is in contention again.

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Former Scotland cap Cammy Bell has tipped Motherwell to spoil a "soft" Hibs side's chances of a top-six finish.

The pair will meet at Fir Park on Saturday knowing that a loss for either side would extinguish all hope of being in the top half of the league's split.

"I'd probably fancy Motherwell to be honest," Bell told the Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think Hibs are in a sticky place at the moment. That result last weekend has been really damaging for them. They lost at home to St Johnstone.

"So yeah, I fancy Motherwell to try and get something from the game. Again, they're going into the game knowing they need to win the game. They absolutely need to win the game.

"For Hibs, a draw maybe would get them into the top six. So I just feel as if Motherwell have got the spirit behind them at the moment. They've got a real team morale going and Theo Bair up front is a real handful.

"The problem for Hibs this season has been their defence. They look a little bit soft, they look a little bit weak. I fancy Motherwell to take three points from that one."

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Why should Scottish football fans care about Czech side Viktoria Plzen drawing with Italian heavyweights Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League?

The result on Thursday night has serious consequences for the Premiership, with the Czech Republic now having leapfrogged Scotland in the coefficient standings.

Not only will the winners of the top flight no longer gain automatic qualification to the Champions League from 2025/26, but there's also a knock on effect for those finishing further down the table.

Here's everything you need to know.

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• Motherwell are unbeaten in their last three league games against Hibernian (W2 D1) with both teams netting in each of the last four Scottish Premiership meetings between the pair (nine Motherwell goals, seven Hibernian).

• Hibernian have lost just one of their last six away league matches against Motherwell (W3 D2), but the loss in that run came on their most recent visit to Fir Park in August (1-2).

• Since winning both of their first two home league games of the season, Motherwell have only won two of their last 14 matches at Fir Park (D5 L7).

• Hibernian have lost both of their last two league games. They haven’t lost three in a row since their opening three of this season; one of which was against Motherwell.

• Theo Bair has scored 13 goals for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership this season, the most by a player in their first season with the club since Louis Moult in 2015-16 (15).

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell says a potential delay to finding out who has made it into the top six is "really bizarre" following Dundee's most recent postponement.

A waterlogged Dens Park pitch resulted in their game against Rangers being postponed, but also means Motherwell and Hibs will not know on Saturday if they have leapfrogged Dundee into the top half of the table if results go their way.

Motherwell face Hibs knowing a win could be enough if Dundee fail to get any more points, while fifth-place Hibs may only need a draw, but could have to wait until Wednesday's Dundee v Rangers replay for clarity.

"It doesn't change my mindset in any way because the only outcome that we've got a chance in is by trying to win a game of football," said Kettlewell.

"No doubt you will ask questions about what comes next in terms of the split and the fact that top and bottom six might not be confirmed on Saturday, which for me seems really bizarre, something we have not seen before.

"But I think if you asked Nick Montgomery at Hibs then it's slightly different for him because there are different mindsets as managers, different scenarios which may or may not come about.

"But if I relate it to my team, it's really simple, the only chance we stand is if we win the game, and we need to have that favour or two."

Hibernian have voiced strong objections to the SPFL as they believe Dundee have gained a sporting advantage in the race for a top-six finish after their Scottish Premiership game against Rangers was postponed until after the Edinburgh side's final game before the split. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Hibs head coach Nick Montgomery insists his loan signings and players out of contract this summer will not down tools and will keep "fighting for the badge". (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip

Hibs travel to Fir Park on Saturday, knowing they have to better Dundee's result against Aberdeen to have any chance of a top-six finish.

Who would you like to see start for Nick Montgomery's side? Pick your Hibs XI here.

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From his working relationships with John 'Yogi' Hughes and Mixu Paatelainen, to how his Easter Road move almost never happened, former centre-back Sol Bamba talks Hibs, management and moving from Paris to Dunfermline on the latest Sacked in the Morning.

Just click here to listen to the ex-Ivory Coast defender's chat with Amy Irons and Craig Levein - and don't forget to subscribe.

• Read more: Bamba keen to follow mentors into management

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland

When Nick Montgomery arrived at Easter Road at the end of September, there was much optimism within the club about the remainder of the season.

But after 33 matches and a record of 11 wins, 11 draws and 11 defeats, that optimism is now receding on a weekly basis.

To be fair to Montgomery, he has only had the one transfer window to work in and also had to play numerous games after the winter break with key players away on international duty or missing through injury.

The acquisitions of Emiliano Marcondes and Myziane Maolida in January were shrewd and both have perhaps performed above expectations.

But these are loan players who are unlikely to return for next season, and to create a long-term vision it’s surely now time to reduce the number of loans and begin building a squad that can be together for a number of years.

Key areas like centre-back and centre-forward are a priority.

But first and foremost, nothing less than a win at Fir Park on Saturday will suffice for a place in the top six, while hoping results elsewhere go their way.

Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery "has big plans moving forward" and is "confident in where I can take the club". (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

A chorus of boos serenaded Nick Montgomery as he and his players trudged off the Easter Road pitch on Saturday following a 1-2 defeat to St Johnstone in what was really a must-win game in our top-six hunt.

As it happens, Motherwell’s late winner in Dundee means that Hibs can take the fight right to the wire, so long as Dundee take nothing from their re-arranged tie against Rangers on Wednesday.

Hibs scarcely deserved the reprieve though. In a game that needed urgency and intensity, we only got hesitancy. The game was littered with Hibs errors and it took until the second half before the St Johnstone keeper was seriously troubled.

There were muted boos at half-time, but the most vehement ones were saved for full-time, by which point Hibs had been undone by the simplest of goals.

A long ball into the channel sent Saints’ Adama Sidibeh scampering away from Rocky Bushiri and the forward rolled the ball past David Marshall for their first.

The winner was just as basic, a sliced clearance from Jordan Obita handed St Johnstone a corner, from which Tony Gallacher had time to turn and slot home.

The performance shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but somehow it did. I felt Hibs had left these performances in the past, but despite the talent brought into the club in January, the same old failings reared their head again.

Montgomery’s position in charge surely now hinges on the success or otherwise of next weekend’s crunch match with Motherwell. Hibs need favours from Aberdeen and Rangers when they each play Dundee, so even a win next week may see us fall short.

It is an intolerable state of affairs. This is an expensive Hibs side and expectations are justifiably higher than a bottom-six finish. The booing at full time was a clear indicator that the support won’t stand for it.

Matty Fairnie can be found on the Longbangers podcast, external.

On today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast, Liam McLeod is joined by Kenny Miller and Alan Stubbs.

They discuss Sunday's Old Firm thriller and look back on an action-packed Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Listen to the episode in full here.

The Sportscene team debate whether Hibs should have had a penalty after St Johnstone goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov crashed into Emiliano Marcondes.

(Available to UK users only)