Now third in scoring chart, Derek Riordan eyes 100 SPL goals

It was his 94th goal in the top flight, 89 of those coming during two spells at Easter Road with the other five from a less-than-happy sojourn at Celtic.

In fact, as the player acknowledged, if it hadn't been for his two-season hiatus at Parkhead, where he played for the first team only sporadically, he would have reached a century of SPL goals long before now.

As it is, only Kris Boyd and Henrik Larsson sit above him in the league's all-time list. Illustrious company for sure, as Riordan acknowledged. "It's good to be in that company," he said. "Boydy and Larsson were brilliant goal-scorers. But they got maybe five or six chances every game and they were used to taking a couple every game. I've just got to try and take the chances when they come."

At 28 and out of contract at the end of the season, Riordan is approaching a crossroads. He is one of Hibs' most senior players and this is his tenth season playing first-team football. He has gone on record to say he wants to remain at Easter Road but he is free to talk to other clubs and Hibs manager Colin Calderwood doesn't appear to be in a great rush to sign him up.

So could the striker be tempted away for a second time? The decision may be made for him but, in the meantime, he is determined to help Hibs keep winning and rack up a century of SPL goals.

"Aye, it'll be good for me (to get 100 goals]. I've been playing a few seasons. I missed a couple of seasons (of regular football] at Celtic. If you're playing at Celtic every week you should be getting at least 20 goals a season, at Celtic or Rangers. But that was in the past. I've just got to try and get it now."

Before he can get to the SPL ton, another landmark is in the offing. As a youngster Riordan scored three times in the Second Division on loan at Cowdenbeath in 2003 and it means he is only three short of 100 league goals across the divisions.

It's early days but Riordan seems to be benefiting from having a new strike partner in Akpo Sodje, Hibs' other scorer in the 2-1 win over Hamilton. Signed from Charlton, Sodje is one of a clutch of new players who joined in the January window who have added substance to Hibs and helped arrest a dreadful run of form which saw them flirt with the relegation zone.

"I think we needed a bit of presence in our team," reasoned Riordan. "The gaffer has brought in a few players, they've done the job well, we've played as a team and that has paid off for us. Sodje has come in and that helps us hold the ball up, linking well and getting crosses in. Both goals (against Hamilton] were basically the same - cut-backs and taps in.

"If you looked at us at the start of the season we were a bit small. I think I was one of the tall ones in the team. The presence we've got in there now helps us."

There is no doubt the arrival of Sodje and new midfielders Victor Palsson and Martin Scott has given Hibs a durability they previously lacked, although Riordan acknowledges that the football may not be as easy on the eye as it was during his first spell at the club. "It was a different style of play the last time I was here. There was more passing - we had the players to do that. It suited us with the formation we used to play."

You have to go back to that era - to the autumn of 2005 and the management of Tony Mowbray - for the last time Hibs won five league games on the bounce. They finished fourth that season and a win at St Johnstone on Saturday would leave them knocking on the door of the top six. So can they make it six wins a row?

"I don't see why not," says Riordan. "Confidence is high. It's a tough place to go, St Johnstone, so I'm looking forward to it.

"Obviously I want to score as many as I can. I could have the best game of my life and if I don't score I'm not happy. I prefer scoring."

Spoken like a true striker.