Stubbs is two cagey

promotion is still main aim Alan Stubbs admits his heart wants Hibs to win the Scottish Cup while his head is laser focused on promotion to the top flight.

The Edinburgh side take on Falkirk in a crunch league clash on Tuesday before heading to Hampden fto face Dundee United. Hibs fans are obsessive about breaking their 114-year hoodoo in the competition but level-headed boss Stubbs appreciates earning the right to play in next season’s top flight would be a far bigger prize.

He said: “When it comes to the league v cup there are two different ways to look at it. One is emotional and the other is professional.

“The professional mindset would be the league and the emotional one would be the Scottish Cup. That’s probably the best way to describe it. “But in any season if you are in with a chance of getting to two major finals and still in the promotion hunt then it means you are doing something right.

“This is the crucial spell we are entering – we have done all the ground work and are looking for the rewards at the end.”

Hibs’ return to the National Stadium comes just four weeks after their 2-1 League Cup Final defeat to Ross County there. It’s also worth considering they beat United 3-0 in the quarter-final of that competition but Stubbs won’t take comfort or otherwise from either result.

He said: “When you get to a semi-final, it’s a different realm, it’s a one-off game. Even though all cup ties are like that, when it comes to a semi-final you are within touching distance of a final. “I have watched Dundee United a number of times from the early part when Mixu came in to where they are now. “They have been more consistent over the last two months than they ever were and they look much more of a

threat now.”