Lennon: I lied when I said cup wasn’t a priority

route to winning the trophy last term, Hibs do not want to grant Hearts revenge this year. Lennon, just doesn’t want to lose.

“I don’t want to give it up to anybody. I don’t want to get beat and we are not in that mode of thinking. We are very positive. Our priority is the league. Our priority is the Scottish. We have two priorities now. I know I have been saying all along that the league is the priority but I’ve been lying.”

Even if Lennon is accurate when he suggests his side have grown slightly complacent in the league, where they have lost just two in 24, and are therefore selective in the games they galvanise themselves for, the high stakes mean he has no fears about his men’s attitude tonight.

“I think that’s a natural assumption to make when you look at the results but the other side of this is that we’re seven points clear [in the league]. Seven points clear is respectable but it probably should have been even better. So what I’m looking for going forward is more intensity, concentration and application so that we start games as well as we finish them. In professional football if you’re going for a title, or going for a double – and we are in two competitions and we want to win both – then you can’t pick and choose your games.

“There is nothing between the [capital] teams. And If Hearts want to come and play football then that will suit us down to the ground because not many teams come here and play football. “It will be a challenge that we will look forward to. It will be feisty for sure and it will be raw. I am sure there will be good football played at times.”