Yogi calls on Hibs fans to have faith after another disappointment

Home draws against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and now Hamilton have left the Edinburgh club with just five points from as many SPL matches, already a massive ten behind the Old Firm. But today Hughes claimed his players could just as easily have taken six points from those games rather than the just the two their efforts have produced, citing a run of bad luck which he feels has proved so costly.

Having watched Edwin de Graaf and Derek Riordan pass up gilt-edged chances to sink Caley, Hughes was further exasperated as a trademark Riordan free kick crashed back off the underside of Accies bar just three minutes after the striker had again given his side an early lead.

And then Hibs had what Hughes believes was a perfectly good goal ruled out, Colin Nish adjudged offside when, he feels, the forward was in line with the last defender as Danny Galbraith supplied the cross which he turned into the net.

He said: "Luck just isn't with us at the moment. It's proving to be a very thin dividing line, wee things are conspiring against us and we could quite easily have had six points from these games rather than just the two. Nish's goal, for example, was definitely okay. I'm not pointing the finger of blame at the linesman, I am 100 per cent convinced he flagged what he saw but when the ball leaves Galbraith's foot Nish is in line. Perhaps the fact the ball went forward deceived the linesman."

While bemoaning the poor luck his side are carrying at the moment, Hughes believes his players couldn't be faulted for effort or commitment while conceding: "I have seen us play better football, better quality with a cutting edge but the players gave everything they have."

Hughes is well aware of a growing sense of unease among sections of the Hibs support, the boos ringing out loud and clear as the players left the field and while he shares the fans' frustration, he insisted this was the time for everyone to be pulling together.

He said: "I can understand the fans, it's part and parcel of football, it goes with the territory."

Hughes also believes some of his after-match comments have been misinterpreted, namely him calling for his players to treat every match as if they were underdogs and that the "questions and answers" are staring everyone in the face.

He said: "When I talk about underdogs I am trying to instil a mindset and mentality that we battle and bite for every ball, not going out there thinking it will, or it might happen, but that we are going out to make it happen. As for the 'questions and answers,' the transfer window is closed, we have what we have and we to stick together, to keep battling away and see where that takes us. Football never comes easy, everyone is capable of beating each other as results have already shown this season."