Cummings is left playing a familiar refrain in wake of yet another bitter loss
JASON CUMMINGS needed no prompting as he exited the Hibernian dressing room in the depths of Hampden’s South Stand.
His head in a spin and his heart trailing between his feet, the forward trudged along the small, dimly-lit corridor adjacent to the national stadium’s tunnel, turning a sharp left into the press mix zone before one long, drawn-out sigh was expelled as he eventually came to a stop. His head bowed and his hand sombrely resting on the back of his neck, Cummings managed to pull himself together just enough to give an insight into the mind of a player who is no stranger to picking the bones out of a kick in the teeth.
“If we didn’t look at the positives then I would end up jumping off the Forth Bridge – I’m that gutted, I’m devastated,” said the 20-year-old candidly. “It’s probably the worst I have felt after a game in my life.”
Despite his modest amount of years, it’s not a claim to be made lightly. Two years ago it was the former Hearts man’s missed penalty that ultimately relegated Hibs from the Scottish top flight, while last season they blew the chance of making the William Hill Scottish Cup final by going out to Falkirk in a Hampden semi-final that they controlled from start to finish.
Back then the then-teenager toddled along that same corridor he did yesterday to deliver a post-mortem that had more than a familiar ring to it. In April last year the forward claimed his team deserved to go through and that they held the majority of the chances. He had a point then, and he had a point yesterday, when the same phrases tumbled once again from his mouth.
In this 2-1 League Cup final defeat to Ross County, Hibs were the dominant team. Not that that fact offered much by way of consolation to Cummings.
“I don’t think we were the poorer team today but it just wasn’t our day. I’m just devastated,” he said. “We had so much of the game. That’s what happens, it’s just football. I thought we had more chances and I felt we were the better team – just edged it.
“You can’t take anything away from Ross County. They dug in and it fell to them at the end.”
The feeling of desolation in the Hibs team understandably spread further than Cummings. The tale of heartache from the number of brave souls that kindly offered to speak to the assembled press pack was one of disconsolation. Particularly for John McGinn.
Just three days after he received his first call-up to the senior Scotland squad, the 21-year-old midfielder was brought crashing back down to earth from a great height by Ross County’s dramatic winner in the 90th minute.
It was a cruel blow for a player who has impressed immensely since his switch from St Mirren at the start of the campaign. Yesterday, he was magnificent once again as national manager Gordon Strachan watched on, and he was keen to clinch his second League Cup winner’s medal three years on from his triumph in black and white.
“To lose a final like that, I’m gobsmacked, gutted,” said McGinn. “It’s the first time I’ve lost a final and it’s not nice. You go from being high as a kite to getting knocked right to the floor. It’s something that I need to deal with and I’ll learn from it. I’ve still got Scotland to look forward to but this was really, really disappointing.”
The last-gasp winner came from an unlucky mistake by Hibs centre-half Liam Fontaine who, after he had brought his team level at the break, made a hash of a clearance to allow Alex Schalke to score. Reflecting on the costly error, he said: “It happens. It happened to me and I have to deal with it. That’s all I can say about that.”