Hibs manager Pat Fenlon is hoping the positive atmosphere around the club since last week's Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock continues when Aberdeen call today on SPL duty. Hibs moved into the quarterfinals of the cup , and will pay the inners of the Ayr United v Falkirk replay, but are still just above Dunfermline at the foot of the SPL only by goal difference. Hibs' only home win since last February was September's win over St Johnstone and Fenlon hopes his team can claim all three points against the Dons to help in their relegation fight.
The Hibs manager said: "We're in a position where we need to scrap and fight for everything that's going. Everybody is upbeat at the moment, but it's important to continue that you have to keep working as hard. Last week it was great to get through to the quarter-final of the cup to give everybody a bit of a lift. You're hoping that lift continues. It's important we keep making progress and we keep pushing on."
Hibs have played 12 home games this season, losing seven, and Fenlon is determined the cup success - which included a first clean sheet in 12 attempts - is the start of better things at Easter Road. He went on: "The place has been for well over a year or longer, it's been a little bit doom or gloom. I think it's important the supporters see the light at the end of the tunnel. They've come back and they've started to enjoy their football. They've come to Easter Road thinking something could happen today. We've got a team capable of putting in a performance. We want to try to turn it back into the place it was previously, where teams didn't like coming to Easter Road, no matter who they were. We want to make it not a nice place to come and play."
Fenlon pointed to the success of Aberdeen escaping the relegation quicksand for his players to emulate. The Pittodrie side have moved to the top six in the SPL since the sides met in December last year. The Dons were just three points above the Edinburgh side but arrive at Easter Road today sixth in the table following a five-game unbeaten run in the SPL. Fenlon added: "Since we played them they've been on a fantastic run. They've picked up some great results and they're probably a benchmark for us to look at. They were three or four points ahead of us and all of a sudden they shot ahead of us. We can take a leaf out of their book and try to push up their table like they have."