Paul Hanlon has issued a defence of Ryan Porteous and insists he's got the mentality to get over his St Johnstone mistake.
The youngster made a horror clearance that fell to the feet of former Hibs loanee Glenn Middleton and the winger made no mistake as he fired past Ofir Marciano.
The Rangers youngster struggled at Easter Road but has had a more productive spell at St Johnstone and punished Porteous when he made his error.
But Hanlon has backed his pal to recover and continue to be a vital part of Jack Ross' side as they chase third spot and Scottish Cup success.
Hibs are three points clear of Aberdeen and the two sides meet in the next league game, before finishing the season at home to Celtic.
And Hanlon said: “It happens. That’s the downside of being a defender, mistakes can be costly.
“He said he was just trying to clear it. I thought he had been trying to pick out a pass but he just mis-hit his clearance.
“It happens but he’s a good defender. When he makes mistakes, he reacts really well – and he did that. I’m more disappointed that we didn’t react well to going behind and didn’t manage to get back into it.”
