Hibs boss on 'selfless' striker's goal drought - and how NOT to break it

It’s normally the sort of statistic that would set a manager’s mind whirring. Nine games without a goal from your undisputed line leader and scoring threat? That has to be a concern.

Yet it says everything about Dylan Vente’s performances during that drought, a barren spell not without its moments of beauty from the Dutch striker, that Hibs boss Nick Montgomery barely even noticed the crude numbers attaching themselves to the 24-year-old's stats sheet. There is no sign of panic over a run that both gaffer and player see as an oddity, rather than a lasting trend.

“To be honest I didn’t realise it had been nine games since he’d scored a goal because I just see the effort he puts in, the assists, the way he works for the team,” said Montgomery, who will again rely on Vente to carry the biggest burden up top when Aberdeen visit Easter Road tomorrow. “So I have no doubt goals are going to come for him because he is such an honest player, he is so unselfish.

“You see his assists the last couple of weeks, now he hopes someone will assist him! But if he’s creating goals for other people, he’s doing his job for the team.

“He’s a natural finisher, and I know strikers like him go through spells. But what’s important is that he doesn’t become selfish and try to break that cycle and score himself.

“If there is someone in a better position than Dylan, he will always pass it and we have seen that. He probably could have scored a couple more if he was more selfish. But he’s selfless and he works his socks off for the team. So hopefully he’ll carry on what he’s doing because he’s been a fantastic player since I joined the club.”