I'M SO SICK OF GETTING STUFFED IN SEMI

DAVID MURPHY has twice made it to Hampden semi-finals with Hibs. And twice he has been on the losing side.

The defender has played in two Scottish Cup semi-finals in the past two seasons for the Easter Road side - and seen the team crumble at the vital hurdle.

Murphy knows the capital club have won many plaudits for the football they played under Tony Mowbray.

But Hibs failed to win any silverware for their former boss and that's something the former Middlesbrough man aims to put right under new gaffer John Collins.

Murphy is determined to see off Hearts in the CIS Cup tonight to book another Hampden semi-final because he feels the players owe it to their fans after the disappointments of the last couple of years

He said: "A trophy signifies what a team is and if we want to be classified as a decent team we will have to win a cup at some stage.

"We played good football under Tony and won many admirers but no trophies.

"If we play to the standards we are capable of we can succeed in this tie against Hearts.

"We have come close to lifting silverware by getting to semi-finals in the past two seasons but it has not worked out for us one way or another.

"But we have seen in a number of games this season where the problem lies.

"We have been on top and then the concentration levels have dropped and we have conceded silly goals.

"It has been very frustrating but if we can eradicate silly mistakes and achieve some consistency in our game we can go on and win something this season.

"As a player you have to concentrate fully for 90 minutes and beyond.

"And if we want trophies every player who steps on to the pitch has to keep his mind fully on the job at hand.

"The quarter-final is a massive game for us as it a fantastic opportunity to get into the last four of a major cup competition, giving us a chance to finally lift some silverware for the supporters."

Murphy is a veteran of knockout heartbreak after tasting the bitter pain of Scottish Cup semifinal defeat twice, against Dundee United in 2004 and Hearts in 2005 when Hibs crashed 4-0.

And he admits he is desperate for Hibs' recent cup woes to be ended.

He said: "It is not great losing at the semi-final stage and we have lost to Dundee United and Hearts at Hampden in recent years.

"And while losing any semi-final is bad enough losing 4-0 to your closest rivals was a terrible feeling.

"But this is a different match altogether.

Hibs are protecting a four-year unbeaten home run against Hearts.

Both clubs have undergone a change of manager recently but Murphy believes the new boss factor will have little bearing on the outcome of the tie. But Hibs still have a score to settle from the last Edinburgh derby.

It ended in a 2-2 draw with Hearts coming back from 2-0 down, despite being reduced to 10 men, to somehow salvage a share of the points.

Murphy said: "It will be an interesting game as they have new people in charge and so do we.

"John has carried on a lot of the things Tony used to do anyway but he has also brought in a few fresh ideas and that is good for the squad.

"I don't really pay too much attention to what happens at Hearts but it seems to me that every timewe play them they have a new manager.

"However, this tie should be a cracker and we haven't lost to Hearts at Easter Road for a few years. Hopefully that will stand us in good stead.

"In the last derby game it was disappointing not to get a victory and we threw away two points rather than gained one.

"We will be going out to put that right. I felt that in our last match against Hearts we were the better side throughout the 90 minutes beven though we didn't manage to win."

Murphy insists winning the CIS Cup would mean the world to him as he has yet to lift any honours in his career.

He said: "It would be a massive achievement for the boys to win this cup.

"I have never won a trophy and I think it's the same for many of the lads in our dressing room.

"It would be my first experience of winning a cup if it were to happen for us this season.

"But we have to reach the semifinals before we can even entertain thoughts of being in a final.

"We are playing in a derby match and they are the ones you enjoy the most.

"You look forward to big games such as this and you would not be human if you said you didn't enjoy derbies - although they are not so enjoyable if you lose, of course.

"It's going to be a tough match against Hearts but hopefully we can emerge victorious and get into the semi-finals."

Taken from the Daily Record