Canning, whose side are in 10th place, five points ahead of bottom side Dundee, told Press Association Sport: "It has been a strange season up to this point.

"When we have lost we have lost heavily. Last year we were competitive in pretty much every game we played in but this year we are either winning the game or we are not competing in the game well enough and that game at Hibs was a classic example.

"It is becoming a bad habit that when we lose, we lose heavily. In between, we seem to win games and pick up points.

"We need to get to the bottom of that and stop it because you are going to lose games but to lose games 4-0, 5-0, 6-0, that can't keep happening.

"Individually they have got to do better because as a team the other night we worked hard and we were more than in the game. It was the most crosses, the most touches in the (opposition) box we have had.

"It wasn't as if we were under the cosh, it is four goals from nowhere, from mistakes, from guys not doing their jobs properly, switching off, bad clearances, backing off when they shouldn't back off, it is individual things we can improve on

"It is really frustrating and a mentality we have to snap out of."

Neil Lennon's side have not won in seven games since trouncing Hamilton, with four defeats and three draws, the most recent a 2-2 stalemate against St Mirren.

However, Canning will go into the game with caution. He said: "It is such a tight league and I don't exclude Hibs or the bigger clubs from that.

"Things happen in games that go against you and when you are down they seem to happen against you and in this league you can quite easily go five, six, seven games and not pick up as many points as you would like.

"But they have too much quality, they are good side and they will be looking for a reaction but we will be looking for a reaction from our boys as well."

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