Fenlon warns Hibs about Hampden stage-fright

The 43-year-old boasts nine cup triumphs from his 24 years as a player and manager in Irish football, and evidently basks in the big occasion, claiming the silverware more often than not. While that pedigree is undeniable ahead of the trip to Scotland’s national stadium, Fenlon has potent recollections of the finals he lost and has no intention of seeing his side repeat mistakes of the past. He recalls how younger or less experienced players often failed to deal with the pressure of performing for the biggest prizes.

With the Easter Road outfit travelling to Glasgow to battle for a place in the Scottish Cup final this weekend, the former Bohemians manager concedes he has been working hard to control nerves and ensure his players are not “exhausted” before they even kick a ball. He said: “The most important thing is that you don’t play the game before the game. I’ve been there with one or two of the younger players back home. They go over the match so much before the game that they absolutely exhaust themselves. We have one or two more experienced players in there and that is extremely important as we try to focus on the match.

“It has been a normal week’s training and that has been a deliberate decision. We want to make sure the players are preparing for a football match and not focusing on an occasion. The important thing is we focus and enjoy the game. You may never get to Hampden again – that is just the nature of football. There have been some great players in Scotland who have never played at Hampden and it is important the players thrive on that.”

Fenlon’s insistence that his player’s enjoy the match is likely to rest on whether Hibs can emerge victorious and reach a first Scottish Cup final since 2001. He said: “It’s a terrible feeling to lose in a semi-final as you are so close to achieving something special, and we want to make sure we don’t have that feeling after the game.”