Rue fast exit strategy

was Liam [O’Brien, the assistant manager] and Kevin Thomson was going off his head. Everybody voiced an opinion. I’m not going to tell you what they said, but you saw the reaction in the second half. It was a lot better.”

Was it j ust. Hibs’ l ongsuffering fans have long since learned to live with the fact that their side has something of split personality, but this was taking things to extremes. The shambling apology of a side that disappeared down the tunnel at the break was very different from the team that raced back out 15 minutes later and set about their tasks with eager purpose.

Even then, surely nobody really believed they could turn things around. Well, nobody but Griffiths, that is. Eight years ago, the 14- year- old Griffiths sat at home and watched on television as Liverpool fought back from a 3-0 deficit against AC Milan to win the 2005 Champions’ League final. So he set about his task with renewed vigour, and even confidence.

In that regard he had a useful helpmate in the form of Alex Harris. As a product of the prestigious – and expensive – Edinburgh Academy, Harris is not exactly your typical Scottish footballer, but his distinction yesterday rested more solidly on the fact that he had been the solitary bright spot in the gloom of Hibs’ first half. It was fitting, then, that he should rattle in the goal that began the fightback, and had Griffiths not finished off Falkirk with his wonder strike near the end he would surely have been named Man of the Match as well.

As it is, young Harris can now look forward to taking part in next month’s final. Whether others in the side will share his excitement is open to question, as the scars of their 5-1 hammering by Hearts last year are still deep. So, too, the notoriety attached to the fact that Hibs have not lifted the Scottish Cup since Edward VII was on the throne and the Boers were getting stroppy. But anything can happen in this game. Yesterday was proof enough of that.