Spot miss so painful for McGinn
AS John McGinn celebrated his finest moment in football, little did the Hibs midfielder know it would take just 61 days for his nadir to arrive.
As his tame penalty, saved by Brondby goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow, proved decisive in Denmark on Thursday night, the golden glow of his club’s historic Scottish Cup Final win over Rangers in May seemed a lifetime ago.
Up until his aberration from the penalty spot, McGinn had played well in Hibs’ 1-0 win on the night, David Gray’s goal securing a 1-1 draw and taking the tie against the Danes to a spot-kick decider.
But as he trudged off the turf in Copenhagen, not even the Hibs fans singing his praises could lift the 21-year-old’s dampened spirits.
‘I’m devastated — that is by far the worst moment of my career,’ admitted McGinn after Hibs were denied a third-round Europa League qualifier against Hertha Berlin.
‘After the effort we put in, I’m gutted to be the one who missed the penalty and I feel for all the boys in the dressing room.
‘I’ve got to pick myself up and move on but it really is a hard one to take.
‘I am always very confident when I hit my penalties. I wanted to go up first — like I did in the (Scottish Cup) semi-final against Dundee United — but the keeper spooked me a little bit by moving before I hit the ball and that put me off.
‘I want to thank the fans for their support, chanting my name after Brondby scored their winning penalty. They supported me and the team all night, so it was special from them.
‘It was a nice moment but, to be honest, I’d much rather we had gone through and they were singing the name of one of the other boys who had scored a winning penalty.
‘The fans represented the club brilliantly. They caused a racket from the warm-up and never stopped singing. They deserved a trip to Berlin and, although the boys can be proud of an incredible performance, I’m devastated we couldn’t get that next tie for the supporters.’
In the disappointment of defeat, Hibs midfielder Dylan McGeouch rushed to the defence of McGinn.
‘Football can be a really cruel game,’ said the former Celtic midfielder. ‘John has been outstanding from the minute he walked into this club and one missed penalty won’t change that.
‘You could hear the fans singing his name after the game. They know what he has done for Hibs.
‘He is a good mate of mine and I’ll be telling him to keep his head up. He has nothing to be disappointed about. He showed the courage to step up and their goalkeeper has made a good save — it happens. You just need to move on.’
McGeouch believes the Easter Road side are benefiting from new manager Neil Lennon’s high standards.
Having worked under the Northern Irishman at Celtic, where he witnessed him insisting the best from his players against top European opposition, Lennon’s tough demands came as no surprise to the 23-year-old.
He believes it will set Hibs up nicely for a season ahead when promotion to the Premiership must be secured.
‘The fact we are disappointed with a 1-0 away win at Brondby, because we haven’t managed to get through, says it all about the standards Neil Lennon sets,’ added McGeouch.
‘I am used to that after working with the gaffer. I remember going away to massive Champions League matches and his expectations never wavered.
‘Even against Barcelona or Juventus, he was always looking for the same standard of performance and telling the boys to target a win. That attitude is what he has already brought to Hibs.’