Hughes anger at fans treatment of Nish

Hibs manager John Hughes has hit out at the Hibs supporters who booed Colin Nish off the park after the strikers substitution during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hamilton Accies.

Nish was singled out for treatment following another ineffectual home performance from the Easter Road side but Hughes has asked the striker to use the fans fury as a catalyst to start scoring goals.

The Hibs gaffer recalled the end of last season when the player had an outspoken attack on the Hibees faithful (describing them as ‘moaners’ and claiming ‘95% of them know nothing about football’) and urged the player to react in a similar fashion after scoring a hat trick against Motherwell in response to the criticism he received after his verbal volley at the fans.

Talking to BBC Sport Hughes said ‘I purposely made sure I got close to him this morning to gauge his mind set and he was all right. I don’t know if it’s a front he’s putting on, but he’s okay.

‘I tried to say to him through my own experience, turn it on its head. Use it as a tool to prove people wrong, that you come here and score goals. I said to him if you can give me what you gave me last year with a return of 12 goals I’ll be delighted.

‘I did throw a wee bit in that when I turned around and looked at one or two of them giving him stick, I was little bit surprised to see his old man up there as one of them. There was a wee bit of humour in there as well. It’s not right, you need to get behind the boys and you need to support them.

‘I think every club has a whipping boy or a boo boy, and unfortunately it seems to be big Nishy. The players are right behind him, he is a good lad, a good finisher and any striker that’s giving you a return of 12 goals, if he can do that this year, great.’

Hibs fans frustrations have been growing in recent weeks as Saturday’s disappointing result means they’ve yet to secure a victory at the newly re-developed Easter Road Stadium with their last home victory coming some 6 months ago in a 1-0 SPL win over relegation haunted Kilmarnock.