'This is nicer and less stressful!' - Hibs midfielder Alex Gogic on some key differences

Alex Gogic has the requisite insight to be able to warn his Hibs team-mates about the threat posed by Hamilton, especially at this stage of the league campaign.

Hibs midfielder Alex Gogic.

With the finishing line in sight, this is the time of the season when the perennial relegation battlers switch into survival mode and having been part of that in the past, Gogic knows how dangerous that makes Brian Rice’s men at Easter Road this afternoon.

But, Hibs have shown their own resilience, having quickly stopped the rot that ate away at their reputation and standing in January but has been eradicated in recent results.

“You can’t feel sorry for yourself,” said the 26-year-old defensive midfielder. “And, every season Hamilton, at this time of year, kick on, and start picking up results. It’s similar here, we are just trying to get as much success as we can and qualify for Europe whereas Hamilton are trying to stay in the league.

“This is a nicer feeling and less stressful! With the gap [in third] getting a bit bigger, especially if we win [against Hamilton], it’s a great feeling knowing you are pushing towards third rather than fighting to save your life.

“We are playing well lately and we need to continue that and get as many points as we can to finish third but there’s no game you can take your foot off the gas, especially Hamilton. They are on a good run and are playing well.”

A run of three wins on the bounce have buoyed Hibs, who have overtaken Aberdeen and opened up a four point advantage in third. They also have a game in hand and a superior goal difference. Those factors have stoked belief, while the potential of a major boost for the third-place finishers if the Scottish Cup does not go ahead and the Europa League play-off place is transferred, has heightened the levels of excitement and desire.

“Do we feel like the third best team in the country? Definitely,” stated the Cyprus internationalist. “We maybe had a bit of a dip for a couple of games but after that we kicked on again.

“The team spirit has been key and, after we dipped, we regrouped and said: ‘Let’s do the basics right and get back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season’.

“I feel like that worked and you can see now that we’re winning games and playing well — and we need to keep that going.

“Everyone helps each other. From my point of view I said we just have to forget about it and move on. Try to improve quickly.”

Gogic’s resilience was honed at Hamilton, where the unity and determination shown there saw them salvage seasons on several occasions. But the defensive midfielder, who admits that Brian Rice’s club will alway have a place in his heart, and has provided balance in Jack Ross’s side this term, says that togetherness can prove just as useful at the other end of the table as Hibs prepare for what they hope will be a positive conclusion.

“Everybody wants a cup final but one of our biggest aims was to get into Europe. Of course we’d like to win silverware - maybe next season.”

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