Passion gives James McPake new insight into club

JAMES McPake arrived at Easter Road in January just desperate to play first-team football, but after captaining Hibernian to victory in the semi-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup on Saturday, he admitted the occasion at Hampden had given him more of an insight into the potential of the club.

The on-loan Coventry defender, whose powerful header set up Hibs’ winning goal in their 2-1 victory over Aberdeen, told the club website: “What I will remember most of all from Saturday will probably be the fans at the end – they made 90 minutes of hard graft worth it. Saturday showed me just how big a club Hibernian actually are and you could see the passion of the fans and what it means to people.”

Hibs first have their Clydesdale Bank Premier League status to preserve before facing Hearts in the all-Edinburgh final on 19 May and McPake will not let thoughts of the final derail their recent improvement.

Hibs are seven points clear of bottom club Dunfermline ahead of their home game against Kilmarnock on Sunday, with the Pars at St Mirren Park 24 hours earlier.

“Now we’ve got to switch our attentions back to SPL duties and get the team up the table. That’s our main focus,” McPake said. “Our focus has got to change quickly and the most important game of my career will now be Sunday’s match against Kilmarnock.

“We’re still in a dangerous situation with Dunfermline breathing down our necks, so now we’re back to SPL duties and that is all we’re concerned with.”

Winger Ivan Sproule, meanwhile, looked forward to an Edinburgh derby at Hampden after Hearts followed their city rivals into a first final between the pair since 1896 with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Celtic. Sproule said: “We honestly didn’t mind who we got in the final because the biggest thing for us was that we just made it through. But obviously it is now going to be a massive occasion for the whole of Edinburgh now that it is a Hibs v Hearts final, you can’t deny that.

“It’s going to be so special for the city, for the fans, for the players and management teams involved, for absolutely everyone with a connection to either team. I don’t think there will be anyone left in Edinburgh that day and I think that it will probably be something that the supporters will talk about for the next month and enjoy the build-up to it.

“There will be a lot of hype surrounding the game and, for the fans, there will be elation on one side and disappointment on the other. I’m sure that Hearts will be just as determined as us to get their hands on the trophy, so it is going to make for one cracking cup final.”