The Hibs manager spoke to the media after his side's 2-1 victory at Dens Park. Here's everything he had to say.
Delighted to hang on?
"I thought we deserved to win the game. Going down to 10 men away from home, the home crowd are going to get on top of them. If anything, we invited a bit of pressure on by dropping deep, but in transition and on the counter attack we also could've killed the game off. It was a sloppy goal to concede, we could've avoided it. Goals swing the momentum in games and they're going to chuck bodies forward. But we stood strong, and I was confident we could see the game out.
What did you make of the two bookings for Lewis Miller?
"The first one is silly, I didn't think he needed to get involved in an altercation, and that's what I told him after the game. You do that, pick up a silly booking in the first-half, and you're walking a tightrope. The second one is probably a bit harsh, but I've not really seen it.
From that moment, you regret getting the first one because it comes back to affect you, and affect the team. But he's scored the winning goal with a fantastic header, so for once I'll probably let him him off today!
Is hanging on a sign of progress, considering leads have been blown in the past?
"We have, it's not secret we've been two goals up in games, conceded late goals, and dropped a lot of points, but it is what it is. I think we deserved more in some games, but you don't always get what you deserve. In the last game, in terms of breaking a cycle, we got a clean sheet and three points at home. Again tonight, three points, so I'm really proud of the boys' effort - they're an honest group who work really hard.
We’re running a limited time Black Friday offer on @HibsObserver_ - it literally will never be cheaper! This gives you full access to what we believe is the best Hibs content:
— Liam Bryce (@LiamBryce_) November 24, 2023
✅ tactical analysis
✅ exclusive interviews
✅ comprehensive match coverage https://t.co/0PmRVmImuj pic.twitter.com/LONRMU2ZRr
Internally, we knew we needed to fix that (losing leads), whether it was a mental thing, or us not continuing to play our football when we concede a goal, and having a few heads dropping. It's something we've addressed the past few weeks, and it's great to see bodies going on the line, and more composure in the final minutes.
Jair looks to be playing with a lot of confidence now...
"Yeah, Jair's been outstanding. Everybody knows his story, he's been in the media this week letting everyone know he went through a really tough time. But most sportsmen do in their career, and it's about how you react. He's shown great character, and deserved his goal. He's been one of our most consistent players, and that's not easy when you've been out of first-team football for 13, 14 months. He's still got a lot more to improve on. He's scored a goal today and probably could have had a couple of assists - he gets a bit excited in front of goal, at times. But he's been out of the game for a long time, so he's going to continue to improve and develop. He'll get stronger and fitter. He was excellent today.
Back in the top six now, as well...
"To be honest, I don't really look at the league table. It's easy to look at it but there's a long way to go. We know we're a good side when we work hard, and if we continue to put performances like that in away from home - and at home - getting the crowd behind us. I thought the fans were outstanding today, 1500 of them travelled up to support us today, so a massive thank you to them, they really did help us."
Read the rules here