Positives amid the frustration, says Hibs boss Montgomery

Hibernian boss Nick Montgomery insists he can still take positives from the goalless draw with Dundee, despite the frustration of wasting a host of opportunities to seal a third straight victory.

The Easter Road outfit found their visitors a tough nut to crack but only had themselves to blame at times for their profligacy.

However, with the result ensuring he goes into next weekend’s Edinburgh derby with Hearts unbeaten since taking over from Lee Johnson, Montgomery was still satisfied with much of his team’s display.

He said: “We are definitely frustrated, I thought we did more than enough to win the game.

“The stats don’t win you a game of football, but 23 shots, and I think we had 10 on target to their two, so it’s definitely frustrating.

“But we’ll take the positives – another clean sheet, a good performance from everybody, with the boys who came in after a big week.

“I can’t fault the boys’ effort. The effort was there, the attitude was there and I thought we played some great stuff. Just a bit of luck at the end we needed, but we move on.

“I would not say it was a bad day at the office. I think there was a lot of positives to take from the game, but of course the boys are frustrated.

“I have to give credit to their goalkeeper, I thought his positioning was really good.

“We attacked a couple of set-pieces and we needed one of those to deflect or bounce off the turf and go in, but he seemed to smother everything.

“You’re going to be disappointed when you create that many chances without winning. On another day, we could have scored a couple of goals.

“It wasn’t to be. But we move on to a big game next week.”

Dundee manager Tony Docherty claimed his side were close to a “complete performance” after threatening to steal victory at the death.

The proud Dens Park boss was full of praise for the way his players implemented his tactics.

He said: “It would have been the complete performance if we had scored from the counter-attack at the end.

“If it goes either side of big Marsh (Hibs keeper David Marshall) I think it’s a goal.

“That would have capped off an absolutely fantastic performance.

“But I couldn’t be any more proud of the players. I think we’re really growing as a team.

“They executed that game plan to the letter. We carried a threat, we were organised.

“You need to remember we only had four players out there who had played at Easter Road.

“So to show that level of experience and maturity was really pleasing.

“Hibs are a very good side. I came and watched them in midweek and they have a really good style of play.

“So I suppose there is an element of disappointment, but I am delighted to come away with a point.”