Under-fire Hibernian boss David Gray insists he has no fears over the prospect of losing his job despite seeing his team suffer a sixth league defeat of the season which keeps them rooted to the bottom of the Premiership table.
Two first-half goals from Conor McMenamin were enough to seal the points for St Mirren at Easter Road and pile even more pressure on Hibs’ former Scottish Cup-winning captain heading into the international break.
A late Nicky Cadden penalty halved the deficit, before the substitute then saw a dramatic equaliser ruled out for offside at the death.
Gray admitted he is under no illusions as to what the result may mean for his own future, but has vowed to keep fighting and get the club heading in the right direction. ‘I don’t think being worried or scared is the right way to feel. I fully understand the noise, and rightly so based on the situation we’re in.
‘I could come up with 101 excuses, but where we find ourselves isn’t good enough and I know it’s something I’ve said for a number of weeks because of where we are.
‘One thing I do know is that until someone tells me differently, I’m going to try as hard as I can, continue to work as I can because nobody is more frustrated than me.’
Gray (left) looks dejected at the full-time whistle as Saints boss Robinson tries to grab a word
Conor McMenamin (centre) celebrates putting St Mirren 2-0 up at Easter Road
Gray desperately tries to motivate his Hibernian side from the sideline in the defeat to Saints
While he was quick to acknowledge the buck ultimately stops with him, Gray refused to shield his players from criticism.
‘I’d say that the first-half performance was completely unacceptable from our point of view, we were miles off it,’ he said. ‘Not just one player, a lot of players. Shying away from the ball, making mistakes, and individual errors again, all things that we’ve talked about previously.
‘But also the lack of fight and belief. First half was the first time I’ve seen it. It’s the first time I’ve come out and apologised to the fans, and I’ll do so again.
‘Despite where we are in the league, there’s always been a few positives to draw on, but it’s very hard to draw on any today because of the situation we find ourselves in. I think that’s probably the bit that angers me the most.
‘Everyone’s still in it together obviously, but individually, we need to ask the question: “Are you doing enough? Are you taking enough responsibility?” There’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, no point in hoping someone else is going to change it for us.’
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson hailed his team’s quality and resilience to ensure they earned their first away win of the season.
Martin Boyle missed a second-half penalty for Hibs who remain bottom of the league
‘In the first half, I thought we were outstanding,’ he said. ‘We played some fantastic football and hit the bar which could have made it 3-0. But it’s a nervy finish because we don’t finish the game off.
‘We’re in the top six at this moment in time. Considering what we’ve been through with decisions, injuries, people suspended from the club, I think it’s an unbelievable start to have this amount of points.’
