Fletch shows no fear as Hibs battle to reach top six

STRIKER Steven Fletcher today admitted Hibs face a huge test of character over the coming weeks if they are to secure themselves a place in the top six.

However, the hitman insisted that he and his Easter Road team-mates are not feeling the heat despite the SPL split looming large on the horizon.

Hibs' 1-1 draw with Dundee United at the weekend leaves them in ninth place in the league table and with just nine games left to secure themselves a place in the top half of the table.

There are just three points separating Hibs from sixth-placed Inverness, over whom they also have a game in hand, and Fletcher is confident his side can claw their way back up the table and close in on a European spot.

They face Gretna in a re-arranged SPL clash on Wednesday night and Fletch knows it is the ideal opportunity to make up some ground on the teams above them.

He said: "We were disappointed with the result against Dundee United because we had a few good chances to score, especially near the end and the next few games are going to be big tests for us now.

"We've got games Saturday and Wednesday for the next couple of weeks and obviously it is important for us that we bounce back as much as possible.

"The league is really tight right now. Obviously we are out of the top six right now, but our goal is to get right back up there and we will be working hard over the next few weeks to make sure that we do that.

"I don't think we're feeling the pressure, we're all just raring to go and we want to be out there enjoying our football."

While Fletcher was unlucky not to get his name on the scoring charts at Tannadice on Saturday, new boy John Rankin did manage to bag his first goal for the club since his move from Inverness during the January transfer window.

And the diminutive midfielder, who has played just two games for Hibs, was delighted to get off the mark so quickly. He said: "I am delighted to get my first goal and obviously it is quite early doors so hopefully I can get a few more now.

"We are disappointed with the result in the end. The first half performance I don't think deserved anything and Dundee United were the better side – no doubt about it. In the second half we have got to look at it as two points dropped as we had the opportunities to win the game and we have let it slip."

Rankin revealed that a half-time roasting from the manager spurred Hibs into action after a poor display in the opening 45 minutes.

It took the Easter Road side less than 30 seconds after the restart to level the scores and Rankin stressed again his belief that they could have gone on to snatch all three points in the end.

He said: "In the second half the goal has given us a lift very early on and I thought we put United under a lot of pressure. We could have gone onto win the game."