Thornton Hibs: Manager Craig Gilbert reveals why he thinks club has managed to win last six league games

“The team’s performing and it’s all to do with having guys available,” Gilbert told the Fife Free Press. "Boys are healthy, boys are fit, there’s no injuries, no suspensions and we have a full squad to pick from.

"Everybody has been stepping up to the plate in the last six weeks. Everybody is chipping in with goals, everybody is working hard, defending well, the keeper’s been outstanding.

"We’ve had a rub of the green at times, but we are due a bit of luck.

"I think five weeks ago, people at other clubs would have thought to themselves that they would rather be in their shoes than Thornton’s shoes.

"We were 15 or 18 points behind with all these games in hand.

"Everyone says you’re better with the points on the board but they’ll will be looking at the table now thinking: ‘My goodness, Thornton’s coming’.

"And rightly so. The boys have done well, they deserve it. We’ve still got three games in hand over people and we have caught Arniston Rangers.

"We’re in a good place. Guys are confident, they know they can beat anybody on their day if they turn up and perform as they have been doing.

"So we’re in a good camp, it’s happy.”

With Thornton having had so many league games postponed earlier in the season as the rain and cold frequently left pitches unplayable, the resultant backlog means that they will have a regular run of midweek games – in addition to Saturday fixtures – between now and the end of the season.

Gilbert said: “I would have been worried about all the midweek games earlier in the season but I’m not just now because we have a full squad so were are rotating and guys are buying into it.

"Guys are getting rested, it’s been good for me and good for the boys.

"Guys know that they can’t play every single game and they’re happy.”