Hibs manager David Gray said he challenged his players to create history before their 2-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox, after substitute Callum Wright's injury-time strike secured a league victory at the Glasgow ground for the third successive season, a feat the Leith club had never previously achieved.
Gray said a lot of people talk about history usually because something has not been done for a long time and view it as a negative thing, but he has always tried to challenge the group to create their own history. He said he asked the players when they thought the feat had last been achieved three times in a row, and nobody knew the answer, because it had never been done before.
Gray said the win showed how good an achievement it was and how difficult a place Ibrox is to visit, but also the quality within the squad that allowed them to do it.
Hibs looked to be settling for a point after Miguel Chaiwa's own goal cancelled out Josh Campbell's early penalty, but the team pushed for a winner in injury time.
Belief among players and fans
Gray said belief is key to any successful team, pointing out that Hibs have now done it at Ibrox three times in three seasons, something that does not happen often. He said he now feels the fans believe Hibs can get a result there, despite it being a difficult place to visit.
Gray said players and staff need to believe they are capable of winning at venues like Ibrox, or there is no point trying. He said instilling that belief has been a priority from the start, recalling that Hibs' win at Celtic Park last season had not been achieved in around 20 years.
Penalty decision explained
Gray said he felt the decision to award a penalty for Vanja Dragojevic impeding Jason Kerr was correct. He said he did not think much of it at the time, but Hibs' goalkeeping coach immediately suggested it could be a penalty. Gray said that after seeing it again, he believes the officials and VAR had no option but to award it.
