Hibs 'getting closer' to Rangers as Nick Montgomery takes encouragement from others taming 'hostile' Ibrox

Nick Montgomery knows Hibs haven’t laid a glove on Rangers this season - but he reckons they’re getting closer to landing a body blow just like Motherwell did earlier this month.

In three meetings with Philippe Clement’s side since taking over at Easter Road, Montgomery has suffered 4-0 and 3-0 defeats in the league and a 2-0 exit in the Scottish Cup three weeks ago. Title chasing Gers have lost their last two home outings to Well and Benfica though. And the Hibs boss would love to make three to give his own side’s top six hopes a huge boost.

He said: “Obviously it can be done. Because Motherwell have done it. Benfica also did it, although they’re a real powerhouse of European football. We know Ibrox is a really hostile environment. You have to believe you can get a result. Getting closer? You probably could say that if you look back on the three performances.

“What we need to do is make sure we’re disciplined. They’re a very good team. But we can compete with everybody in the league, I think we’ve shown that.

“At times, the result probably hasn’t reflected the performance but, ultimately, you can’t concede goals and you have to punish at the other end, which is something we’ve been a little bit sloppy with in big games.”

Just three weeks ago Hibs went out of the Scottish Cup to tomorrow’s opponents in a bruising quarter final tie in Leith that saw Jordan Obita and Nathan Moriah-Welsh red carded. Montgomery was encouraged by his side on that occasion and said: “The time before that we had a very mixed squad and players coming back from loans. And even on that night we created problems for them.

"But what we didn’t do was keep the ball out of the net. And when you don’t do that it’s difficult to win a game against a team