Hibs graft against Celtic sets ideal platform for huge week

And yet, as the Premiership champions rolled into Easter Road on Saturday, it really did feel like Nick Montgomery’s side needed to deliver a performance. Not for the sake of one 90 minutes across a 10-month campaign, but for the potential significance of the week to come.

Back to back drubbings against Glasgow’s big two would have been, shall we say, less than ideal preparation for a Hampden semi-final that could very well prove definitive. But as Hibs now shift focus to Ross County’s visit to Easter Road followed by Aberdeen in the Viaplay Cup last four, they do so following a gutsy, confidence building display against the best team in the country.

There was a hint of ‘I took that personally’ about how well Montgomery had drilled his players to defend in the formation that had been called into question all week. The criticism was not without merit – Hibs had made life far too easy for Rangers seven days prior, and paid for it dearly.

No such charity was offered to Celtic.

Montgomery’s side were meticulously drilled in their gameplan, and tireless in executing it. Afterwards, Brendan Rodgers lamented his team’s lethargic tempo, and their occasional tendency to go long in search of an opening. But much of that was forced by how little encouragement they were offered by their hosts.

READ MORE: What Nick Montgomery had to say after Hibs earn draw against Celtic

The gaps which Rangers sauntered through almost at will were non-existent, with Hibs’ tenacity and work rate putting a barrier which Celtic toiled to break down. The back four were largely excellent; Fish and Rocky Bushiri were in the way of everything, and it was telling of Lewis Miller and Jordan Obita’s respective afternoons that Rodgers withdrew both his starting wingers with plenty time remaining.

There were still a few anxiety inducing moments from goal-kicks but, at half-time, Montgomery took steps to address what he felt were players failing to ‘see the pictures’ in playing out, and it was something that looked notably more assured after the restart. It seemed a deliberate move to tempt Celtic into expecting the initial short pass throughout the opening period, tempting them forward before looking slightly longer, but still precisely and deliberately, to the advancing full-backs. It was an interesting tweak, and another sign that this is a team that is continuing to evolve.

But while there was bravery in possession, Hibs did not ask too many questions of the league leaders’ back four, there was a glorious Martin Boyle chance that could have turned a creditable draw into a statement victory.

In short, though, it was much more like the Hibs that Montgomery has been working to bring to life.

It should be the ideal platform to tackle two upcoming fixtures which are of utmost importance. Excitement will understandably build for a day out at the national stadium, but there can be no underestimation of the need for three points against County on Halloween night.

Montgomery has lost only one of his six Premiership matches in charge, no mean feat considering three of those were against Hearts, Rangers and Celtic – but the time is now for Hibs to start putting points on the board. All the indications that the push for the top six and Europe will be as closely run a race as ever, with just two points separating fourth and eleventh in the table.

Even at this stage, momentum is key, and running Celtic so closely should provide a springboard for Hibs to begin building it. On separate occasions, they’ve proven they can score goals freely, and that they can be hard to beat, it now becomes all about pulling those threads together on a consistent basis. It goes without saying that there is no better time to do so than over the next week.

Reaching a cup final so early in his tenure will be a considerable validation of the work Montgomery, his coaching staff and players have done in a relatively short period. There was a time not so long ago that these visits to Hampden were a regular occurrence for the Hibs support, even if the outcome was not always as hoped for. And with Celtic out of the equation, it’s a cup competition with a more open feel than the past two years, where all the trophies have resided at either end of Glasgow.

Not since 2007 have Hibs taken a League Cup back to the capital, and they may not get a better chance than this any time soon, with Aberdeen and Hearts very beatable and Rangers in the midst of a potentially awkward transition.

Such thoughts will be parked at the Hibernian Training Centre until Wednesday, with three points certain to be the only thing the minds of players and staff. For fans, though, these are the build-up weeks to savour.

It will be a long few days, no doubt, but there may just be a bigger prize waiting at the end of it.