Hibernian V Hamilton at Easter Road Stadium : Match Preview

18 August 2017 07:35
Lewis Stevenson plays down Hibernian's impressive start to season

Lewis Stevenson is looking for Hibernian to improve on last week's fine performance against Rangers when Hamilton visit Easter Road on Saturday.

Even though the Light Blues played most of the game at Ibrox with 10 men after Ryan Jack was sent off in the first half, Neil Lennon's side were well worthy of the 3-2 victory which made it six points out six in the Ladbrokes Premiership for the newly promoted Leith club.

Stevenson played down that 100 per cent record and insists Hibs will treat Hamilton, who beat Dundee 3-0 last week, with as much respect as they did the men from Govan.

He said: "You obviously want to pick up as many points as possible in the first few games but a start is all it is.

"We haven't done anything yet. It is only two games in and this Saturday coming against Hamilton is just as important, maybe more important than the game last week.

"We will do our best to perform even better than we did at Ibrox.

"Hamilton will come and think they can get a result, and quite rightly so. They got a good win last week so we know it is going to be tough."

Stevenson is one of the few Hibs players who were at the club in 2014 when Hamilton won the play-off against the Leithers to gain promotion to the Premiership and consign their opponents to the Championship.

Hibs led 2-0 from the first leg in Lanarkshire but Accies recovered the deficit at Easter Road in the most dramatic of matches before winning on penalties.

The 29-year-old utility player believes it will have no bearing on Saturday's game and claimed the Easter Road club are in a much better place these days.

He said: "Somebody mentioned that the last time we played Hamilton was the play-off but it hadn't entered my head. I am focusing on this game.

"Both clubs have come a long way since then and I don't know how many players have played in those games but it never crossed my mind.

"I think everyone is pulling in the right direction now. We can tell by season ticket sales that the club is in a stronger place now than it has been for the last 10 years or so."

Hamilton midfielder Ali Crawford is confident he can recreate the greatest day of his career and upset the odds at Easter Road again.

Crawford was part of the Accies side which overturned a two-goal play-off deficit to gain promotion and send Hibernian down in 2014.

Hamilton got their season up and running with a 3-0 win over Dundee last weekend and Crawford is gunning for more happy memories in Leith.

"Last time I was there we got promoted into the Premier League, so it is a good ground for us," he said.

"It was probably the best day of my career. It will be different circumstances going there this time, it will be a tough game, but hopefully we can get a positive result.

"We always seem to do well when we are up against it. We did well last season against the bigger teams and you would class Hibs as one of them this season.

"There will be no pressure, we will go there as underdogs and we are coming off a good result. Our confidence will be high and I can't see why we can't get a positive result there."

Source: PAR