Video: Jason Cummings misses sitter against Raith Rovers

CHRIS Iwelumo could well be breathing a sigh of relief this week after his miss against Norway in 2008 was overshadowed by Hibs striker Jason Cummings against Raith Rovers on Saturday.

The young striker, who hasn’t found the net since February 16th, received the ball from David Gray barely three yards from the gaping goal in the 5.15pm kick-off at Stark’s Park, but managed to knock the ball off the underside of the crossbar before Raith ‘keeper Kevin Cuthbert gratefully grabbed the ball to snuff out the danger.

Cummings, who has scored 20 goals for Hibs so far this season and has attracted attention from a host of clubs down south, booted the stanchion behind the goal before being replaced by Farid El Alagui barely 60 seconds later.

Hibs had just gone 2-1 down, with Lewis Toshney and Mark Stewart scoring either side of half time, after Anthony Stokes put Hibs in front after 25 minutes with his third goal in two games.

And Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs has hinted that he could shuffle his pack as he bids to end the Easter Road side’s run of four straight league defeats - and striker Cummings could be at risk.

Stubbs said: “Jason is probably going through one of those phases as striker when he’s thinking he has scored before he has scored.

“That doesn’t help but he had a chance beforehand when his touch let him down. We’ll keep working away with him but we need to start taking chances otherwise you put yourself under pressure for a starting place.

“There are players here waiting to be in that starting position but, to be honest, it’s not just there.

“We had too many players affected by the pitch. It wasn’t a great surface but we did not deal with it, there were too many poor touches, too many poor passes and they need to do better.”

Stubbs added: “There’s a few of them who’ve put themselves under real pressure to lose their places.”

The former Celtic and Everton defender bemoaned the two goals Hibs lost, adding: “We cannot concede the goals we have conceded and we cannot miss the chances we have missed.”

Norwegian defender Niklas Gunnarsson could find himself recalled to the starting XI if Stubbs decides to shuffle his pack ahead of the visit to St Mirren while the likes of Paul Hanlon, Fraser Fyvie, Dylan McGeouch and potentially Dan Carmichael could be in contention for a starting spot in Paisley.

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