Dream lives on, Lennon
WHO would want to wake up from an impossible dream which took 114 years to come true? Not Hibernian and their supporters, who are still coming to terms with being the Scottish Cup holders. They will be happy this real-life fantasy is to continue for a couple more months yet.
Neil Lennon’s side should have won more convincingly; however, this quarter-final against Ayr United was negotiated without too much bother.
How could last season be topped down Leith way, you ask? Well, how about retaining the once-elusive trophy and getting automatic promotion? Hibs still do not wholly convince, but do not rule out pulling off what would be a unique double in Scottish football terms.
“I thought we were very good, it was an emphatic performance,” said Lennon. “I am very excited about going to Hampden with a new club. I got used to doing it with Celtic and I’m very proud to do it with Hibs. I am extremely proud of them to get in the semi-final, but I’d swap it all for promotion. For us to develop as a club, we need to be in the Premiership.
“We need to earn the right to be there and today, with all due respect to Ayr, we were head and shoulders above another Championship team.
“What we have to do now is park the cup and really concentrate on getting promotion. We are having a hell of a season, the standards drop now and then, but the players have given me everything. I am maybe too hard on them at times, but we are doing all right.”
Six minutes was all it took for Hibs to take charge of things. John McGinn’s cross towards the back post was headed out to the edge of the box, and it was McGinn himself who got back on the ball, turned on to his weaker right foot and from 20 yards curled a superb shot past Ayr keeper Greg Fleming.
The game was done – or so it appeared – four minutes later.