• Feels Hibs played well in patches - 'but we've been here too many times before'
  • Said both goals conceded were avoidable
  • Reveals 'frustration' from supporters as players and staff clapped travelling fans at the end

Nick Montgomery spoke to the media after Hibs' 2-1 defeat by Ross County - here's all the Easter Road head coach had to say. 

You seemed to start the game quite brightly - was the equaliser the turning point?

“It’s easy for me to say we should have won the game. When you have 20 shots on goal, play a lot of good football, hit the post, have one-on-ones with the goalkeeper, if you don’t put those chances away, you know they are going to play direct and make you deal with stuff.

“I thought we played really well in patches, but we’ve been here too many times before. It’s just a mistake late in the game, we get punished for not taking our chances."

Was it just individual errors?

“There are always individual errors. But we’re a team, we’re a collective. It’s not fair for me to come out here and point at individuals – because they know the mistakes that ultimately cost you goals. Both goals were more than avoidable.

“The first is a cross that we know Ross County do, and we just have to clear it. Simon Murray does what he does, he just chases everything and the ball drops to him.

"At 1-0 up, we should have been further ahead, their keeper pulled off a really great save from Myziane, but suddenly it’s 1-1. In the second half we created chance after chance and then a mistake ultimately costs us the game in the end.

“I’m the manager, it’s a collective. It’s a game we shouldn’t have lost, but I’ve said that too many times this season.”

What were you saying to the supporters at the end?

“It wasn’t really a conversation. I understand the fans are frustrated. They travelled today, we travelled today, so you understand that.

“At 1-1 it looks like we’re going to win the game, but it turns on a mistake and the frustration comes. It’s a cumulative frustration because we’ve been here too many times this season.

“We’ve dominated many games and not taken our chances this season, and given away poor goals, and that was another two poor goals today. We can’t excuse the goals we gave away – really, really poor goals, totally avoidable.

“They were avoidable in a game where we could have comfortably taken three points, but credit to Ross County for battling, knocking direct balls and punishing us for it.

“We appreciate the fans’ effort to travel up here, and we went a little bit closer to them at full time to show them that we appreciate the support. I’m not going to tell you the stuff that was said because there was obviously frustration. But we know that we should have won the game."

How is David Marshall - was he injured?

"He had a knock in training, and this morning we didn’t think he was ready to travel. Hopefully he will be okay for next week."