Hearts braced for odd test: why Darvel was 'cool', missing key player and steely determination

A Hearts team used to successful forays into the later stages of the Scottish Cup, having featured in three of the last four finals, Robbie Neilson’s men head to Hamilton tonight where they will encounter a well known face.

Stephen Humphrys prepares for Hearts' Scottish Cup clash against Hamilton Accies on Friday.

The fact that Accies manager John Rankin is a former Hearts coach gives his Gorgie counterparts insight into what they might expect. “I’ve known John for a long time," explained Neilson. "I travelled up and down to Dundee United with him as a player and he was coaching here. He’s a great guy and I’m delighted to see he’s turned it around at Hamilton. It was a difficult job to go into. He made a big decision to leave here. He was in a solid, secure job here and he was enjoying himself. But he went into management. A lot of people wouldn’t do that but he took that chance, I’m glad to see it’s turned round for him. Hopefully not on Friday but in the league it seems to be going well.”

But if there is some comfort in the familiar, there are other elements of this fifth-round tie that will test the capital side. Going into the Friday night match up as firm favourites, the encounter with the side sitting bottom of the Championship, will be a deviation from the norm. Of their 124 meetings, only three have come in the most prestigious of the domestic knockout competitions.

Unlike the last round when they went up against derby rivals Hibs, and motivation was simple, they will run out onto the New Douglas Park astro shouldering most of the expectation. But, even against a side they have only ever faced three times on Scottish Cup duty, the incentives are high, according to midfielder Cammy Devlin, who, like full-back Michael Smith, is back fit and available.

Cammy Devlin speaks to the press ahead of the game.

"A derby speaks for itself and you will naturally be up for it, whether it's a knockout game or a league game,” said Devlin. “A derby will always mean something special to players and fans. Hamilton is the same because if we lose we are out. The staff have set a plan for us, it's a bit different to Hibs but our approach is to win the game. We will take the game to them and we believe that, if we play our football and stick to our instructions, then we can win the game but it won't be an easy task.”

Those demands may be manageable given the expectations the frontrunners to finish third in the Premiership for the second successive season face most weeks, but the environment will be different. The confined nature of Tyencastle, with its packed stands hugging the perimeter of the pitch, is a world away from the empty expanses along the lengths of Hamilton’s home ground and while the away fans will offer as much backing as possible, the events in East Ayrshire in the previous round serve as a reminder that not everyone will be pulling for the top tier outfit.

“There will be a good travelling support from our fans as always, which will hopefully make it feel like a home game," continued Devlin. "As players we have to be professional and go there and put on a professional performance and most importantly just win the game. We will go into this game as favourites as did Aberdeen when they went to Darvel. I watched that game and as much as you think ‘I’d never want that to be us’, it was cool to see – because it wasn’t us! It was cool to see Darvel and what it meant to them. They are such a lower league team playing against Aberdeen who are a great side in the SPFL.

“I was once in that kind of team against A-League teams. They have knocked Aberdeen out which is massive for that club and they are through to the next round. That will be the same thing Hamilton are hoping for but we have to show a professional performance and treat it like any other game.”

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson with assistants Lee McCulloch and Gordon Forrest.

The chance of silverware and for this side to write their names in club folklore, it is also the most direct route back into European group stage football but they will need to clear the latest hurdle without captain and top scorer Lawrence Shankland, following his sending off in the previous round. Having been so close in recent years, they now need to take that extra step, according to manager Neilson, but Devlin says there is no benefit in looking that far ahead. Game by game, tie by tie, he still smiles at the memory of walking out at Hampden to see one half bathed in maroon but he says those memories cannot be allowed to distract Hearts or become the reason they prove unable to replicate or better the experience.

“If we go in professionally and not take them lightly – and I’m sure we won’t – we have an experienced group of boys in there who will help whoever is on the pitch,” said the energetic Australian, whose presence has been missed in the middle of the park in recent weeks. “We will play our game and fingers crossed we get through.”

"We focus on each game as it comes. This is a chance to get into the next round so we aren't talking about being in the Scottish Cup final right now. If we lose tomorrow, we're out so, right now, we're talking about Hamilton away. If we get through that, we'll be talking about the quarter-finals and being a step away from Hampden. These games are so important because if you lose a Premiership game it's three points and it's so disappointing – but if we lose we are out of the cup and that's even more disappointing. It doesn't matter if it's against Celtic or Hamilton, every opponent will be up for the game. It's a massive game.”