Nish says taunts won't spoil his Hibs dream

COLIN NISH today spoke for the first time about being singled out by the Easter Road boo boys and vowed: "You are not going to spoil my dream of playing for Hibs."

The lanky striker was taunted as he was replaced by teenage defender David Stephens during a disappointing goalless draw with St Johnstone, sections of the home support cheering his substitution.

Their reaction was condemned by Mike Riley, chairman of the Hibs Supporters' Association, who claimed he was "sickened" by what he had heard while Nish's team-mates Edwin de Graaf and Ian Murray jumped to his defence with manager Colin Calderwood warning such behaviour could be detrimental to his players as a whole.

But as he looked forward to leading the line again as Hibs swing back into action after a three-week break because of the weather – coincidentally at his former club Kilmarnock – Nish insisted he was more than prepared to confront his critics.

The 29-year-old life-long Hibs fan said: "Of course it was disappointing, it wasn't pleasant at all to hear all that. But I knew what was coming before the game even started and you just have to deal with it.

"I still enjoy pulling on the Hibs strip, going out there to play and do the very best I can for the club I've supported all my life and I am not going to let anyone spoil that for me. I am living the dream of every Hibs fan.

"I am going to enjoy every minute I have as a player here and I know when I do leave then I'll be back at Easter Road at every opportunity to support the team and the club.

"It's not always easy when your confidence is perhaps a bit low but it is not going to make any difference to me. I will continue to give my all every time I am called upon by the manager."

"I've had it before when I first went to Kilmarnock but I think I managed to turn it around. It's a case of going out there, working your socks off and eventually something will happen.

"There's nothing better than proving a few people wrong so it would be nice to get the winner at Rugby Park."

Nish, however, will be contending with Valdas Trakys for that place with the Lithuanian hitman now fit following a calf injury which kept him out of Hibs' last two matches.