Ross vows to go all the way

JACK ROSS is determined to see Hibernian smash their Hampden semi-final hoodoo on their way to potential Scottish Cup glory. The Easter Road club have lost their last three domestic ties at that stage, with Ross in charge for last season’s Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts and this campaign’s Betfred Cup loss to St Johnstone. Now he wants that unwanted run to end after last night’s comfortable victory over Queen of the South at Palmerston booked them a last-16 clash at Stranraer. ‘For us, at the start of the season it was about doing well in the league and trying to win a cup,’ said Ross. ‘Since I’ve come here, our record in cup competitions in terms of winning games has been good. ‘It’s just that we’ve fallen at the last-four stage in the last two competitions. ‘If you win five games, you can win the Scottish Cup, and that’s what we will aim to do. ‘That has to be the ambition and the players have the belief to go and do that.’ Ross backed Christian Doidge to go on a goalscoring run after his double against Queens. ‘Christian is in a good place at the moment and it was also a good finish from Martin Boyle as well,’ added the Hibs boss. ‘Christian is quite streaky when it comes to scoring but I’ve been pleased with his overall play. ‘We gave ourselves a platform in the first half and after the break we were very good.’ Queens boss Allan Johnston felt the tie hinged on a big decision when referee Willie Collum waved away Stephen Dobbie’s penalty appeal. The striker had gone to ground following a challenge by Joe Newell and Hibs duly went up the park and scored their second through Doidge. Johnston said: ‘In the second half, big moments cost us. ‘We are through on goal at 1-0 down and you probably have to go and score, and then there is the incident with Stephen Dobbie. ‘Willie Collum says there is contact but it wasn’t hard enough. I don’t know how he can judge that. ‘If there is contact, he (Newell) has put him the wrong way and he has brought him down in the box. Surely that’s a penalty. ‘They go straight up the park and score and it is a completely different game.’