The mood around the Hibernian Training Centre this morning will be that bit brighter thanks to the three points captured at the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday, a win that has allowed Hibernian a shot at reclaiming third place in the SPL on Wednesday evening when Dundee United visit Easter Road.

It may not have been the best performance of the season - but given the time the side has had of things in recent weeks it could well prove to be the most valuable 90 minutes of the year. "It has been tough the last few weeks,"   striker Anthony Stokes admitted in his own post-match summary. "Losing the Hearts game was massive and then to go out of the cup - but the gaffer sat us down the other day and told us what we all knew, that these games coming up are the biggest of our season. We started the season so well but we became a bomb-scare and just blew up, but we have to show a bit of character now and bounce back.

"Obviously it is disappointing to go out of the cup but third place is still up for grabs and we know that we are good enough to achieve that. If we can get on a run like we had at the start of the season then we can make third place ours."   Should Hibernian succeed then it will have been aided in no small measure by Stokes' goals, the striker looking set to cross the 20 mark - something he might well have done on Saturday with a clear chance late in the game that he expected to finish: "That was disappointing because I had quite a lot of the goal to hit even though I was slightly on my side, but obviously when I am one-on-one with the goalkeeper then I always expect to score.

"When they scored first it was disappointing but we bounced back straight away with a great free kick from Deeks, and I think that really set the tone because there was only a few minutes between the goals. Once we hit the second one we were on top and when we got the third we looked like we could score every time we went forward. It was a massive result for us as we really needed to bounce back. We played well in the first half where we grafted and got our goals. In the second half they put us under the cosh a lot but it is a massive win and it puts us back on track for the run in to the end of the season."

The victory over Falkirk was built on solid defending, and while the opening goal for the home side was certainly preventable the Hibernian defence rallied in particular during the second half when Falkirk were desperate to find a way back into the game: "The gaffer just told us what we need to do. We all know that we are making basic mistakes and in the games we are losing - a lot of them we have gone ahead in - and sloppy goals are costing us. It comes from all of us including me and big Nishy up front and pressing, that is what the gaffer wants to get into our game. He knows we are good enough but most games in Scotland are a battle and you have to win that before you can play the football."

On a personal level Stokes has every reason to be content with his strike-rate since returning to the SPL at the start of the season, although he feels it perhaps should have been even better: "I've never set myself targets, I have always played each game and tried to take the chances that come my way. I have done well so far this season but I missed a good chance and who knows, if I had taken some more I could have been up at 20-25, so that is the way I have to look at it."   While there are no personal targets, Stokes remains firmly focussed on achieving the Club's main goal - third place.

While 4th or even 5th could be enough to ensure European qualification, there is only one goal in the minds of the Hibernian squad as they approach the run-in to the season: "I think there is a massive difference and to finish 3rd would be a statement about next year. The gaffer had come in and he has changed a lot of things at the club and one thing that is trying to change is the mindset. He is telling people he is not just happy to finish 4th and getting into Europe, he wants to push for 3rd, fair enough is we finish in 4th we will take it but 3rd is up for grabs and we want it."

Images: Alan Rennie for Hibernian TV