Hibs boss Jack Ross tells his players to decide if their season's goals still matter after another defeat

Following a prolonged spell of two games per week, the Easter Road team do not return to action until next Monday, when they travel to Celtic Park, and their performance that day will go a long way towards relaying their ambitions.

“Physically we need to have a rest, and, mentally, staff as well, because we have had so many games,” said Ross. “We will look forward to what’s ahead because we do have an exciting month in terms of league games and the [Betfred Cup] semi-final. But it is a bit of a key moment for us. We have had a couple of them this season, when we have had to step back and ask ourselves where we want to go and, in the main, we have responded well. This is another of those moments for us. Do we want the season to drift or do we want to achieve what we set out to do this season?

“I have a lot of faith in the group, but I think they know that we were a long way short of where we needed to be today.”

Ross was speaking after his men lumbered to their third defeat on the bounce – the first time that has happened in his tenure – losing 3-0 to a vibrant and proactive Livingston.

“We didn’t do all aspects of the game well enough. We didn’t defend well and we weren’t creative enough in what we did going forward.

“So we didn’t play well enough to get anything.

“We’ve had two disappointing results but this performance was some way south of midweek.

“It’s not panic stations because in the main we have had a good season and the players have done a lot of good things. But it is an acute reminder to them. If they don’t do the basic part of the game properly, and don’t keep trust in what we do, because we have lost our way after losing goals in the last two games, it’s not easy to get results.”

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