Glasgow was miles better.. now for Hibs

HEARTS assistant coach John McGlynn today urged his side to produce the kind of display they did against Celtic at the weekend every time they play, starting with tonight's CIS Cup quarter-final clash with Hibs.

Although the Jambos lost 2-1 against Gordon Strachan's men - an uncharacteristic mistake from goalkeeper Craig Gordon in injury time gifting their opponents all three points - the Tynecastle team turned in one of their best performances of the season.

For long spells they outplayed their Glasgow rivals, the second time they have done so this term after recording a 2-1 victory against the Hoops in Gorgie back in August.

In between those meetings with Celtic, however, the Capital club have been hugely inconsistent, losing at home to St Mirren and Kilmarnock as well as drawing with Falkirk and Dunfermline.

Those results have seen Hearts fall a massive 13 points behind the SPL leaders leaving them with a mammoth task if they are to claw their way back into the fight for the championship.

McGlynn is well aware that too many insipid displays have cost his side so far this campaign but having watched the players perform so well in their last outing he's called on them to make that the benchmark for the rest of the season.

"The performance was a massive improvement from the Dunfermline game that's for sure," said McGlynn. "If we can play like that at Celtic Park what we have to do is try and get that consistently week in, week out. The result might have been disappointing for everyone but we played really well and there is something positive there to build on.

"That's what we have to concentrate on because that's the standard we've set ourselves.

"If you look at our two games against Celtic this season the gap shouldn't be anywhere near as big as it is. We can't become a team that just raises our game for Celtic, we need to do it more often. We've shown how well we can play a couple of times but we have to do it more often that we have been doing."

Tonight's trip across the city is sure to be a fiery affair with a place in the last four up for grabs.

And in what is sure to be a frenetic atmosphere with a capacity crowd guaranteed, McGlynn knows the importance of starting the game well if they are to progress through the tie.

Just three weeks ago, on their last visit to Easter Road, the Tynecastle club found themselves two goals behind with only 16 minutes on the clock as their rivals threatened to blow them away.

In the end, two terrible blunders by Hibs keeper Zibi Malkowski gave the visitors a lifeline which they grasped and fought their way back into the match, but McGlynn insisted his side have to be faster out the traps this time.

"It will make a big difference if we can start well as the last couple of times we've been there we've just not started at all and have allowed Hibs to put us onto the back foot," said the coach.

"We've allowed them to come into the box and it's been like climbing a mountain at times. But I think we are starting to play a lot better now as that was in a spell when we weren't starting games particularly well.

"Although we didn't win the game against Kilmarnock we actually started it well, as we did against Dunfermline, so hopefully we are starting games a bit better now. That's important because a lot of times in football whoever scores the first goal will go on to win the game. That's especially true in derby games."

While the CIS Cup has become a much-maligned tournament since the decision to strip the winners of their qualification for European competition, McGlynn revealed that it is, nonetheless, a competition that everyone at the club would love to win.

The Jambos were last at Hampden back in May when they defeated Gretna on penalties to lift the Tennent's Scottish Cup and although tonight's event isn't held in the same high esteem McGlynn is aware that reaching the latter stages of cups can become a habit and wants it to be one that Hearts get into.

"Obviously we're only taking one game at a time but it is always at the back of your mind that you are just a couple of games away from a final," he said.

"We were at Hampden recently and I'm sure the fans will be desperate to get back their as soon as possible the same way that we are.

"We have a very hard game against Hibs but we want Hearts to be getting to cup finals year in, year out and we're just a couple of games away from doing that."

If the Jambos are to progress one man that could have a big say in the final outcome of tonight's match is striker Andrius Velicka.

The Lithuanian has hit five goals in his last five appearances including a double on his last visit to Easter Road and has quickly established himself as a firm favourite with the Hearts support, confirmation coming with a fine display in Glasgow.

The visitors tonight haven't recorded a win in their last four games although Velicka insisted that confidence in the camp remains high.

"We are not going there thinking about drawing or losing, we are only thinking about winning this game the way we do with all our games," he said

"I enjoyed my goals against Hibs last time and it would be good to score again this time if I get a chance. I wanted to play in Scotland for a long time and am pleased to have made an impact quickly since arriving.

"This game will be hard but I am confident at the moment as is the team and we will be trying to win."

Taken from the Scotsman