John Hughes says Hibs can bounce back against St Johnstone

HIBS manager John Hughes believes his side have the physical and mental ability to bounce straight back from their defeat to Rangers when they take on St Johnstone tonight.

The Easter Road team were on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline at Ibrox on Sunday, bringing to an end a five-match unbeaten run.

However, they have a chance to get back to winning ways almost immediately as they travel to McDiarmid Park tonight for a match that was originally scheduled to take place at the end of December, only to be postponed because of heavy snow.

If they win their game in hand in Perth tonight it would see them close the gap on second-placed Celtic to just two points in the SPL but, having already lost 3-0 to Saints this season in the League Cup, Hughes knows that his men will have to be on top of their game if they are to come away with all three points.

He said: "The last time we played St Johnstone, they turned us over at Easter Road, so we know that they are a good side.

"They mix their game up well, when they can play they play well, when they need to be more direct they're more direct.

"They have got really good organisation and it is always a very difficult venue to go to. But, if we have got aspirations of achieving what we want to achieve this season, then we have to go there, show them we mean business and hopefully take all three points.

"I keep saying this, from now to the end of the season, every single team in this league is capable of beating the other.

"We need to guard against that and if we are defeated we need to make sure that we bounce right back.

"My team have done that for me already this season and hopefully that will be the case again.

"I want players here to be everything they can be, mentally and physically."

Hughes, meanwhile, admitted that he is hoping more players will follow Ian Murray's example and sign a new deal at Easter Road before the end of the season.

The Hibs vice-skipper penned a two-year extension earlier this week, keeping him at the club until at least 2012 but Abdessalam Benjelloun and Patrick Cregg are both out of contract come the end of the campaign.

Hughes added: "There won't be too many leaving this club. Benji and Patrick are everything that you want at the club.

"Benji brings a smile to my face when I see him coming in in the morning, he's always vibrant. I think I can get more out of him."