Nick Montgomery admits Hearts gap is a sore point as Lawrence Shankland set for special treatment
The Edinburgh derby takes centre stage under the lights this midweek with both sides fighting for bragging rights and a big result.
Nick Montgomery has admitted Hearts' huge points advantage over Hibs is a sore point - as he looks to keep Lawrence Shankland quiet in the Edinburgh derby.
The capital duo go head to head under the lights at Tynecastle on Wednesday night with a whopping 21 points standing between the city rivals. Steven Naismith's side - who lost 5-0 to Rangers last weekend - had been on a flying run of form and have surged clear in third place in the race to finish best of the rest and book a European ticket for next season. The Hibees languish in seventh spot as they battle to reach the top six with every point crucial.
Montgomery is far from happy with the situation but believes the recruitment drive at Easter Road in January has given them the chance to start playing catch-up on the teams above them. He explained: "I'm not happy with the gap in points and I know the fans are not happy with the gap in points. The fact of the matter is Hearts went on a really good run when we went through a really tough period and lost a bit of ground.
"Every game now is an opportunity to claw points back on the opposition you're playing and the teams above you. We can't change what's happened but we can give ourselves an opportunity to close the gap on every team above us, like we did at the weekend against Dundee.
"We've brought a lot of new players in, there's been a lot of change, and I think the quality in the squad gives us the chance to finish the season positively. We can't look at the points, but we can prepare as well as we can and try to go into the game against Hearts with the right mindset that we can go there and get the result."
Shankland boasts an incredible goal record for Hearts with 53 strikes in less than two seasons in maroon. He's netted five goals in six Edinburgh derbies - including a stoppage-time winner in the last meeting between the pair in Leith late last year.
That form has Montgomery ready to hand the skipper special treatment as he looks to try and stuff out the threat of the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership. He added: "He's one of the best strikers in the league, and his goals tell you that. There have been plenty of games where he's been the difference between the two teams.
"We saw that ourselves. He's a quality player. You have to respect the opposition, the whole team, and especially individuals like him who can hurt you in key moments.
"It's something we'll have to concentrate on. The last game I thought we kept him quiet until that wonder-strike in the 94th minute. He's a top quality player and he's been responsible for a lot of the points they've accrued over the last couple of months."