While many pundits are applauding Hibs for their good run of nine game without loss, striker Derek Riordan insists the Easter Road side have still to hit their stride. Saturday saw John Hughes' side beat his old club 2-0 without setting the heather alight. The result, along with Aberdeen's win at Pittodrie, leaves Hibs level on points with Rangers, who have a game in hand, in joint second place just two points behind Celtic. The race at the top would have been even more interesting if Dundee United had picked up more that the one point at the weekend. Riordan - who scored a brace in the battling win over the Bairns - knows the Edinburgh team must up their game to stay in the title hunt. He said: "We've not been playing well and are still getting the victories so it's a good sign for us. I thought the first half we played well but in the second half we just sort of died a bit. We weren't playing much football, just the long ball up to big (Colin) Nish who I thought did really well holding the ball up. But the result was the main thing, I'm happy enough."

Riordan has dropped back to play in a left midfield role recently but it has not stopped him scoring eight goals so far this season. The Scotland forward broke the deadlock on Saturday after 33 minutes, steering an angled volley home with the aid of a touch from Falkirk defender Brian McLean. It came shortly after the Bairns had a goal chalked off when the assistant referee flagged for the ball having gone out of play shortly before Darren Barr cut back for Ryan Flynn. In the second half, Pedro Moutinho also went close with a chip replacement keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay managed to touch on to the bar. It was Riordan who calmed the fevered brows on the Easter Road bench and in the stands with another emphatic finish two minutes from time after a pass from David Wotherspoon. Riordan said of the opener: "It was going wide, but I'm claiming it. They took one off me against Brechin in the cup in August when I put one towards the top corner and it nicked off someone. I saw it on Sky Sports that they gave me two goals so I'm claiming it. To be honest, I couldn't see the ball come across because of the floodlights. It was in the air that long that the floodlights put me off, so I just swung my leg at it. It was instinct really, I just hit it and it went in for me."