WE SIMPLY
Darren: If we give a good account of ourselves the fans will be happy because we’ve won the league and reached Scottish Cup semi-finals
WINGER Chris Humphrey is back in contention for the first time since suffering an injury in Hibs’ replay win over Hearts two months ago. Defenders Liam Fontaine (ankle) and Paul Hanlon (pelvis) remain on the sidelines. DARREN McGREGOR insists his theory isn’t half baked – Hibs have a free shot at Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final and can’t lose at Hampden.
Less than 12 months ago the Easter Road defender was a bag of nerves when he walked into the National Stadium with the weight of history hanging heavy on his shoulders.
Alan Stubbs’ side had failed to emerge from the Championship, had lost the League Cup Final and Real Madrid were just six weeks old when the Leith club last won Scotland’s top cup competition.
Fast forward 11 months and the only regret McGregor carries is the failure of his side to complete a lap of honour after Hibs fans invaded the pitch at the end of their 3-2 final win against Rangers, sparking mayhem and crowd disorder.
He would love to parade around in the sun at Hampden on May 27 and reckons the strain is all on Derek McInnes’ side as they bid for silverware to mark another season of sterling achievement for the Pittodrie club.
McGregor said: “All the chat and all the pressure is on Aberdeen. At the start of the season our mandate was to win the league – anything else was a bonus.
“Now that apprehension is away and we’re heading into this game confident, with clear minds.
“We know Aberdeen are strong all over the park. They have some really good players – in fact they don’t have any weaknesses.
“But we’re a big-game team. We’ve proven that in past years so it’s a win-win for us.
“If we go and give a good account of ourselves, the fans will be happy because we’ve won the league and reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup. If we do manage to win, it would be the cherry on top of the cake, another Scottish Cup Final. The Hibs fans will be spoiled.
“This time last year we were coming off the back of a few tough results, including the League Cup Final defeat to Ross County.
“We had all our eggs in one basket, everything was riding on the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers as a saving grace.
“The anxiety and apprehension going into that game was huge because we knew it all came down to that.
“If I look back at last year, when I arrived at the ground for the final, I was crapping myself. I was even more nervous because, deep down, as a Hibs supporter I knew what it meant to the fans. The Ross County loss in the League Cup Final? We’d come so close. The play-off against Falkirk? So close. “However, this time we go into it knowing we’ve won the league. “We’ve given a good account of ourselves to reach the last four as holders. If it ends in this game, we’ve done well – but I’m confident i t won’t end this weekend. “A lap of honour this year would also be good because that was the one thing a lot of the boys were upset about last year. “I was lucky because my daughter was sitting a couple of rows down from me, so my missus Erin managed to shimmy her down and I grabbed her and got her with the Cup. “It’d be great to do that again but that’s a long way off.” Few players are more appreciative of their careers in the senior game than McGregor, who went from folding blue jeans in an Edinburgh clothes shop to playing for the Light Blues at Ibrox.
He suffered two serious cruciate injuries, didn’t get a move to part-time Cowdenbeath until he was 19 then emerged as a player of huge potential at Central Park before moving to St Mirren.
Former Rangers boss Mark Warburton ditched him early in his reign but McGregor has come good again at his boyhood heroes.
And it’s little surprise he’s the poster boy for the ‘Perseverance’ tour promoted by Hibs this season, extolling the benefits of never giving up.
McGregor, 31, added: “The highlight for me was taking the Scottish Cup back to Leith, the team I started with as an Under-11. I was quite a late starter and stayed there to Under-19s.
“I showed the trophy to the kids and said, ‘You can make it, even if you’re here at 13, 14 or 15.’
“There’s a big assumption that if you’re not playing with Hibs and Hearts at the age of 13, you’re done. They can use me as an inspiration.
“I was 19 when I went to Cowdenbeath so, if anyone can take a bit of motivation from that, take it.
“You have to attack the chances that come your way and our squad is good enough to attack this chance against Aberdeen.
“Everyone is saying Aberdeen are this, Aberdeen are that. But I look at us and say, ‘We can cause them bother. We’ve played in big games and done well.’ It will be interesting.”
GARY RALSTON