David Gray's Huge Test as Hibs Face Ross County in Premier Sports Cup

David Gray’s early tenure as Hibernian head coach already has a defining night on the horizon. Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup trip to Ross County is, in the words of former Easter Road favourite Scott Allan, a “huge game” for the rookie boss.

“There’s no other way to look at it from a Hibs perspective,” Allan told the BBC Scotland Football Podcast, with his old club just one win from a semi-final place. The stakes are clear. So is the pressure.

Hibs stumble into Dingwall after a bruising spell. Back-to-back Premiership defeats to Hearts and St Johnstone have checked any sense of early momentum, while a late collapse at home to Gent slammed the door on a place in the Conference League. One bad week has turned into an awkward narrative.

For Allan, that shifts the weight firmly onto the domestic cups.

“There’s a lot riding on the cups, with Hibs having been disappointing in the last two years,” said the midfielder, who had three separate spells in Leith and knows exactly how quickly the mood can turn around Easter Road.

And waiting for them is a Ross County side in no mood to play the underdog. County are unbeaten in League One and carry a genuine threat in 38-year-old Brian Graham, the former Hibs striker who has rattled in nine goals in all competitions. He is in the kind of form that sharpens defenders’ focus and keeps goalkeepers awake the night before.

“It will be difficult against a team that is winning games, with a striker that is scoring goals,” Allan warned. “They have a strong squad for a club in League One.”

The message is clear: underestimate them and pay for it.

Allan still leans towards his old club finding a way through.

“I think it could be tricky, but I still believe Hibs will have enough to get through the tie,” he said. “There is some real quality in the team. Whether they are getting the best out of them at the moment is another question.”

That last line hangs over Gray’s preparation. The talent is there. The performances, recently, have not matched it.

A place in the last four, and a shot at silverware, would not fix everything at Hibs. But for a new head coach trying to steady the ship and a support demanding a response, it would be a powerful statement about where this season is heading.