ALL HAIL QUEEN ANN
Souttar dedicates Hearts’ success in semi-f inal to club chair Budge
GOALSCORER John Souttar dedicated Hearts’ Scottish Cup semi-final victory to Ann Budge after the club chair joined a jubilant group of players in the Hampden dressing room at full-time.
A convincing victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle carried Hearts to a first final in seven years and, significantly, the club’s first major showpiece since Budge and the fans-backed Foundation of Hearts led it out of administration in 2014.
After a tense first half, goals from Uche Ikpeazu, Souttar and a Sean Clare penalty set up a May 25 clash with Aberdeen or Celtic, who meet in today’s second semi. Hearts haven’t contested a Scottish football final since defeating Hibs in 2012 and, given the subsequent financial trauma and recovery, Souttar enjoyed the sense of occasion as Budge (left) joined manager Craig Levein in addressing the players. ‘Ann came in at the end and you could see how delighted she was,’ said the former Dundee United defender. ‘Where this club has been — to now get to a cup final, it’s sort of a fairytale story. ‘It’s happened so quick and it’s
great for everyone involved. Look at how much she has done for the club, the gaffer, too. There are a lot of demands on this club. It’s not easy to play for and I’m sure it’s not easy to manage or own. So I was delighted for both of them.
‘Everyone knows that Hearts need to be in cup finals and finishing high up the league.
‘We have got to the final and that’s now something for the fans to enjoy. Hopefully we can give them a day out they will never forget.’
Souttar declared himself oblivious to a Saturday morning newspaper report linking him with a transfer to Rangers and turned in one of the game’s most impressive performances.
Solid in his primary role as a stopper, he knocked in a perfectly-timed second goal midway through the second half, just as John Robertson’s Inverness threatened to claw their way back into the contest.
‘It wasn’t like me,’ laughed the 22-year-old Scotland defender. ‘I haven’t scored in a wee while, so to do so on an occasion like that was brilliant, especially as we were under pressure at the time.’
Having lost last weekend’s Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle, Hearts and Levein entered this match under a degree of pressure that seemed to intensify at the half-time whistle when a section of the support booed the players off the pitch.
The response was impressive and Ikpeazu’s goal came within five minutes.
‘It didn’t feel like we were bad first half, we had most of the ball and we created chances,’ said Souttar afterwards. ‘As soon as you score a goal, it’s going to look a bit brighter.
‘We needed to keep our composure. That’s what we said at half-time — don’t panic. If we kept moving the ball, we thought it would come.
‘After the season the whole club has had, we have had difficulties individually and collectively, and it’s brilliant to now have a final to look forward to.
‘We had to give the fans something to look forward to at the end of the season. Hopefully they will enjoy their day.’