Smith insists Tynecastle side can defy odds in semi

HENRY Smith was part of a Hearts team that benefited from a slice of luck the last time the Tynecastle club beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup 25 years ago. Now the former goalkeeper is hoping Paulo Sergio’s team will be blessed with similar good fortune at Hampden on Sunday when the two clubs lock horns for a place in the final.

Hearts will have to defy the odds if they are to halt their five-game losing run against Celtic in the competition – a record that stretches all the way back to 1987 when John Robertson struck a late deflected free-kick. The momentum from winning the SPL allied to the comprehensive 4-0 beating of Hearts back in February has made sure the newly crowned champions are strong favourites to set up a final against either Aberdeen or Hibs.

But Hearts favourite Smith believes the current crop can emulate what his side achieved all those years ago. He said: “It was one of those games at Tynecastle when we played really well, we had a few chances on the day and so did they. Then the wee man as usual pops up with a crucial strike, a deflection that took it past Packie Bonnar. That’s all it needs, something like that; and if you can defend properly then you never know.

“If you do that you can win games. If you have one little chance then you have to be on your toes and bury it. If Craig Beattie and Rudi Skacel are around then it might break for them, although we’re still underdogs. The way Celtic have been playing recently, they will be favourites to win the tie, but you never know. It’s a semi-final and it’s about who turns up on the day. Paulo will have everyone fired up. The first thing is that the players have to enjoy it, 90 per cent of the time semi-finals are not enjoyable games. You’re scared to make a mistake, you don’t want to be the one that costs your team a place in the cup final. You have to enjoy it if you can. You have to win your own battles.”

Smith is sure February’s heavy loss at the hands of Neil Lennon’s side will have been erased from the players’ memories. He added: “That’s history, it’s gone. Paulo will tell them to forget it. We didn’t play well that night and we allowed Celtic to play, we let Celtic dominate and you can’t let them do that. We were 3-0 down at half-time and the game was finished. You have to bounce back from that, and there is no better place than a semi-final.”