SCOTT ALLAN has lit the touchpaper under the SPFL Premiership Play-Offs by insisting Hibs are favourites to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt.

The Easter Road side won their last five Championship fixtures to finish second behind Hearts and Allan, voted the Cheque Centre PFA Scotland Player of the Year for the division, believes there will now be no stopping them.

Bookmakers have whichever team finishes 11th in the Premiership rated as favourites to emerge triumphant from this end-of-season series of head-to-heads with Hibernian second favourites.

Allan, however, is bristling with confidence as he waits to discover which of the two outsiders in the market, Rangers and Queen of the South, will provide the opposition when Alan Stubbs' side enter at the semi-final stage on Wednesday, May 20.

"We haven't conceded many goals in our last few games and we are getting goals now, so I would say we are favourites," he said. "The team going down won't have the same momentum as us.

"We are in a positive place. If you are winning games, you are definitely in a better place than teams going down the way, struggling to get results."

Queen of the South play host to Rangers in the first leg of the quarter-final this Saturday evening, but Allan is clear when asked if he has a preference over which of the two will make it through to meet Hibernian.

"Not really," he said. "I would fancy us against either of them over the two legs.

"I think we have got enough to beat the two of them.

"I think the time between now and our next game is quite a long lay-off, but it will let people get fresh again and players who have been injured to get back to full fitness.

"As long as we maintain good intensity in training and get a few bounce games in between now and then, I am sure we'll be ready.

"I think we are going away for five days as well. It will be nice to freshen up and I hope it will benefit us.

"We'll need to be defensively good as a unit in the Play-Offs and take our chances when they come, not pass them up.

"It takes a full team to do that."

Allan reckons Hibs have already given warning of their abilities this season and believes they are ready to show they can turn their passing style into meaningful results when the heat is really on.

"I think we have a point to prove in that we have played some of the best football in the league this year," he said. "If we are able to keep kicking on, I think we will go on and do well in the Premiership.

"We have a really good set-up and fanbase and the stadium is good.

"A lot of teams have come to Easter Road and parked the bus this season, but, in the Premiership, most of the teams will have a go and I think that will suit us.

"We're good on the counter-attack and that would definitely suit our style of play.

"It would be unfortunate if we didn't go up. If we didn't, we would just need to go and do what Hearts have done this season and try and romp it next season."

Hibernian, of course, were involved in the Play-Offs last season. After winning 2-0 at Hamilton Academical in the first leg, they lost by the same scoreline at home under the guidance of Terry Butcher and were relegated in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Allan insists the bitter memories of 12 months ago will have no bearing whatsoever on what happens this time round.

"The whole mentality of the club last season was really dark and it has completely changed," he said. "The manager has said it was a really cold place when he came in.

"This is the best dressing room I have been involved in."

Allan has restored his reputation during an excellent year in Edinburgh and has admitted he was delighted when Dundee United made an estimated £200,000 offer to take him back to Tannadice at the end of the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old midfielder left under a cloud after turning down a new contract in 2011 and moving to West Bromwich Albion a matter of months later.

"Given the way I left, I was actually quite pleased because of the what the fans thought when I left," he said.

"I was never leaving Hibs in January, though. For me, this season was all about playing week in, week out and that's what I have managed to do."