Oh brother . . . Cummings is out to break Leith curse
One-time Hearts fan says he would love to disappoint siblings with trophy win
ASON CUMMINGS used to join his brothers in revelling in Hibernian’s misfortune, especially when it came to their excruciating Scottish Cup record.
This afternoon at Hampden in the semi-final against Dundee United, the prolific Hibs striker is hoping to move one step closer to silencing siblings Ross and Dean.
Growing up in Gorgie, the Cummings brothers naturally nailed their colours to the mast at Tynecastle – and Jason was even on the club’s books up until four years ago.
Since making the switch to Easter Road in 2013, an old picture on social media of Cummings making the 5-1 gesture – a reference to Hibs’ mauling to their bitter rivals at Hampden in 2012 – has come back to haunt him.
However, having made his name as a professional footballer in Leith, Cummings, the scorer of 23 goals this season, knows where his bread is buttered these days.
“I would love to win the Scottish Cup with Hibs,” insists the Scotland Under-21 international. “I’ve had a few dreams about winning the Scottish Cup with Hibs, if I’m honest.
“I’m usually popping up in the 90th minute with a winner into the top corner. It would be funny to take the medal back into my house with my brothers and put it on their walls – they wouldn’t be happy with that. It would be a dream.
“I’ve got two older brothers, Ross and Dean, who are quite big Hearts fans. Every time we play them, they tell me they hope I can score, but that Hearts win 3-2.
“One of them puts it up on Twitter that if I score my Xbox is going out the window, so I came back with no Xbox after scoring the winner in the 1-0 game.
“It’s not really a secret that I was brought up a Hearts fan. I was brought up in Gorgie and went to Tynecastle High School and most of my family are Hearts fans.”
Cummings’ goal haul has enhanced his reputation as one of Scotland’s most promising talents but doubts have been raised over his partnership with Anthony Stokes.
Hibs have won only three out of 10 Championship matches that on-loan Celtic forward Stokes has played in, but Cummings is adamant the Irishman offers a lot.
“Stokesy is a top player. Some of the things he does are not what a normal player would try. It is the same in training. You can just tell he is a good player. It’s a pleasure to play with someone who has been far in the game.
“Our form has nothing to do with Stokesy. We all have to look at ourselves. It’s nothing to do with Stokesy if I haven’t been scoring enough goals for the team.”
Cummings it at a loss to explain why Hibs, who have not won the Scottish Cup since 1902, have struggled of late, with a run of one win in eight league matches leaving Alan Stubbs’ side six points adrift of second-placed Falkirk in the push for the play-offs.
He added: “If we knew then we’d have fixed it. We don’t really know what’s happened to us, but it happens to the best teams in country. You just have to ride it out. We know the capability of the boys and the squad. We still have a lot to play for to make this a good season.”
Cummings believes the memory of Hibs’ 3-0 win in the League Cup quarter-final tie at Easter Road in November will weigh heavily on United who will be looking for an appearance in the Scottish Cup final to soothe what has been a painful season with relegation all but a certainty.
“They have been struggling this season and have lost the majority of games they have played. And I think it will be in the back of their minds, the fact that we have already beaten them 3-0.
“That night we were different class and we battered them off the pitch. It was a comfortable 3-0 and it could have been more.
“I think that is massive for us, the fact that we have already beaten them and beaten them comfortably.
“The boys will go into Saturday knowing we can do it again and I am buzzing for it.”
Hibs’ current form, however, is as as poor as the Tannadice men, having won only two of their last 11 games in all competitions as they failed to hang on to the coat-tails of Championship winners Rangers.
Cummings grabbed a double against Falkirk at Easter Road on Tuesday night but the 10-man visitors fought back to draw 2-2 and stay six points clear in second place ahead of Hibs, albeit having played two games more.
“I am quite a big critic of myself and I am not really happy with the amount of goals I have scored in the last couple of months.
“But if you look at the big picture I have scored 23 this season and I scored 21 last season so I have already done better than I did last season.
“And coming off a couple of goals against Falkirk, my confidence is sky high again so I am looking forward to Saturday, massively.”
Cummings believes the Leith side are due some good fortune at Hampden Park which will allow them to silence their detractors.
In last season’s Scottish Cup semifinal they were the better side, only to go down 1-0 to Falkirk, and last month they bossed most of the League Cup final against Ross County before losing 2-1 to a last-gasp Alex Schalk goal.
“It seems that when we go to Hampden we just don’t seem to get the result, even if we are the better team,” said the former Hearts youth player.
“I think we are due a wee bit of luck and hopefully we can get that and break the Hampden curse.
“Everyone seems to say Hibs have bottled it in big games. I would love to go out on Saturday and just prove everyone wrong.”
As most Scottish football fans know, however, Hibs’ poor record in the Scottish Cup goes back further than last season and Stubbs is looking for the chance to end that hoodoo.
He said: “We know the history and we know what the Scottish Cup means to this club and it would be nice to be the one to put the record straight.
“I would have thought there would have been a few Hibs managers in the past sitting here saying the same thing.
“We have to make sure we give ourselves an opportunity to be in that situation but first we have to overcome another Premiership opponent.”