Graham Stack's hand in glove with revitalised Hibs

Consistency of selection is a sign of calm having arrived at a club, and Colin Calderwood seems to have finally settled on a goalkeeper as Hibernian look to build on a run of three successive victories.

Graham Stack is the man currently in possession of the first-team gloves, and Calderwood sees no sense in changing this after a period of form which has given Hibs reason to look ahead of them rather than behind.

Stack has not had need to look over his shoulder too often either. He has conceded just one goal - a penalty - in his three outings since replacing Graeme Smith. Hibs are now nearer a top-six place than they are the bottom of the Scottish Premier League and the next eight days could be a pivotal period for them.

With Jakub Divis - the latest addition to what former manager John Hughes referred to as a "school of goalkeepers" - currently struggling with illness, Calderwood envisages the experienced Stack continuing to form the last line of an otherwise young defence as Hibs prepare to face three crunch matches in seven days. Inverness Caledonian Thistle visit Easter Road tomorrow before Hibs travel to face Hamilton Accies on Wednesday and then St Johnstone next weekend.

"Results and performances dictate whether you play the following week, especially in that position," Calderwood said, after being asked about Stack yesterday. "We will need to change personnel to get through next week without a doubt. But that's the one area where I think eventually you want to be as consistent as possible."

While Calderwood expressed some satisfaction yesterday, there is much work to be done. He is constantly on the look-out for additions to the squad. Ricardo Vaz Te is the latest to spend time training at East Mains. The former Bolton forward is on trial at Hibs after he was released from his deal with Greek side Panionios.

"He's a young player coming through," said Calderwood. "He obviously did well enough and had the pedigree to get into (Bolton's] team. He's one of those who is out of contract and we have been able to have a good look at. I know he is enjoying his time here and he quite likes the environment." Calderwood hopes to fix up a match for the Portuguese striker next week, but his focus remains trained on lifting Hibs further up the league. Their ambition to reach the top half of the league will rest on the next three matches.

"Saturday is one we have to get out of the road," he said. "It's a good week in terms of games. We can ease ourselves away from them (Hamilton] - but we can help ourselves prior to that on Saturday. It is very important that we get three points.

"To get close to the team immediately above you has to be the aim," he added. "Aberdeen have extended that lead. We have to bridge that gap at the weekend. And what it could do is concertina the league. We obviously have to beat Caley to do that and then try to win at Hamilton, and finally go into the St Johnstone game - another team above us - with the hope we can claw them back, if possible."

Michael Hart, Steven Thicot and Danny Galbraith will all be absent tomorrow due to injury, while Ian Murray is suspended. Calderwood has faith in a defence which has included two 19-year-olds recently, in Callum Booth and Richard Towell, and 21-year-old centre-half Paul Hanlon.

The manager was, however, critical of some aspects of their play in the 1-0 win at St Mirren on Sunday, but considered that, along with the team's run of poor form earlier in the season, to have been part of a learning curve."That period of the season might be rewarding in their careers - and I thought that at the time," Calderwood said. He added that he felt Hibs had "escaped" on Sunday. The team have finally adopted the habit of scoring the first goal, even if it did not arrive until the dying minutes at New St Mirren Park.

"We have got through the opening periods of games and scored the first goal and that's been an obvious influence on us," he said.

Calderwood also looked forward to welcoming Chris Hogg back to the club tomorrow afternoon. The defender was club captain at Hibs as recently as last month, when he was allowed to leave to join Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The manager denied Hogg had anything to prove at Easter Road.

"Certainly not to me, and certainly not the club," he said. "He was a good servant and did well (for Hibs]. But it's just a situation that he was not going to play as much as either of us thought would be beneficial. It was very much a mutual thing. But he will be a tough opponent."