Paul Hanlon unsure on Hibs future as defender fires back at critics after St Johnstone win

Paul Hanlon insists Hibs have answered their critics after their 3-1 win over St Johnstone.

The Hibees have endured a miserable season after being consigned to a bottom-six finish. That's heaped pressure on boss Nick Montgomery, with Easter Road chiefs conducting a full review of the club's football structure in the wake of failing to reach the top six.

But skipper Hanlon - who scored the second in Hibs' victory at McDiarmid Park - reckons the Edinburgh side proved their mentality today. And the veteran stopper couldn't hide his delight at getting on the scoresheet after spending most of the campaign on the bench.

He told BBC Scotland: "I've had to be patient this season in terms of minutes on the pitch. I just wanted to get on and help the team. To get a goal was perfect. I'm just disappointed we didn't get a clean sheet to top it off. Scoring a goal for Hibs is always special for me.

"Going into the game, there was a lot of pressure on us. People might ask what our mentality will be like going into these games. I think we answered a few of those questions today. We showed we're up for the fight."

Hanlon is one of a number of players out of contract this summer and the 34-year-old admits he's not sure what the future holds.

He added: "There's a bit of uncertainty with being out of contract. I'm sure there'll be an announcement in the next few weeks about which way it'll go. I'm still concentrating on trying get on the pitch and contributing as much as I can."