Hibs scored their first goals of pre-season

Hibernian manager Mixu Paatelainen has angrily denied that Brian Kerr is one of nine players told they are not good enough for the Edinburgh club.

Paatelainen was speaking after his side scored their first goals in seven pre-season games during a 3-2 defeat by Middlesbrough at Easter Road.

"I have never said that Brian Kerr is not good enough for us," he said.

"I am very frustrated and angry that his picture was used by a newspaper as part of this story."

Kerr has not featured since Hibs lost to Elfsborg in the Intertoto Cup.

And the midfielder has already been quoted as saying that he is determined to prove the manager wrong.

"Brian Kerr is not one of the guys and it's very, very unfair," Paatelainen told BBC Sport.

"He is a fantastic playmaker and a good passer of the ball."

Paatelainen explained that he had taken the nine players aside before the summer break to explain that they did not feature in his plans.

"It was to give them time to find new clubs, because if players will find it difficult to break into the team, it's better for them to go elsewhere to develop," he said.

Hibs went 2-0 ahead against Middlesbrough through a Steven Fletcher double before Afonso Alves, David Wheater and Alves again replied for the English Premiership outfit.

Paatelainen, who has been criticised after friendly defeats by Clyde and Cowdenbeath, was pleased with his side's display but rued the late lapse.

Middlesbrough's Julio Arca (left) was stretchered off

"We have the quality and the standards and just need to do it on the pitch," he insisted.

"I felt the boys worked very, very hard and it was a good performance."

But the Finn could not avoid a return to previous criticisms of his players.

"I am very disappointed in the manner that we lost the goals in the last 20 minutes, all crosses," he said.

"We go back to the players' mentality. Unfortunately, in the last 20 minutes, they lost concentration and we were punished by a very good side."

Paatelainen gave a trial to a French midfielder who will be given another chance to impress.