Hibs aim to end fairytale for Irvine Meadow

In the 1999 movie, former Scotland striker Ally McCoist starred alongside Robert Duvall as the fictional village side Kilnockie made it all the way to the final itself in a tale loosely based on Raith Rovers' epic 1994 Coca-Cola Cup win over Celtic.

But, while firmly of the belief that there will be no fairytale ending for the Ayrshire outfit, Smith admitted the historic clash, the first time an SPL club have faced a Junior side in the competition, had added to the romance of the Cup.

Having made his Easter Road debut in last weekend's Edinburgh derby against Hearts, new arrival Smith faces a totally different proposition when Irvine, backed by some 2500 of their own fans, roll into town.

But today the 26-year-old insisted he was relishing the Active Nation Scottish Cup tie every bit us much as facing Hibs' bitterest rivals.

And, while the debate continues to rage was to whether a club such as "The Medda" deserve their place in Scottish football's blue riband competition, Smith has no doubt their inclusion just adds to the appeal of the Cup.

He said: "It works down in England where big clubs come up against non-league sides every year.

"Down there they have relegation and promotion from the Football League but in Scotland it is a bit more of a closed shop.

"I don't know if some Junior teams feel a bit hard done by in that they can't get into the league but it would probably help their cause if some of their teams show they can hold their own in the Cup.

"It's a bit like that film 'A Shot at Glory', this draw has certainly caught the imagination.

"No disrespect but, if we'd drawn a Third Division side at home, there wouldn't have been any of the hype we've seen all this week.

"I think Irvine have every right to be in this round and they'll be bringing more fans to Easter Road than any team outwith the Old Firm or Hearts. I'm sure they'll spend the whole 90 minutes singing and dancing regardless of what happens."

While confident it will be the name of the Edinburgh club going into the hat for the fifth round draw when referee Euan Norris sounds the final blast on his whistle tomorrow, Smith insisted no-one at Easter Road will be taking the threat of Irvine, who defeated Arbroath 1-0 with a goal from former Hibs kid Richie Barr in the previous round, lightly.

The former Rangers, Motherwell and Brighton star said: "From what I hear, some Junior sides pay better wages than some Third Division clubs so I'm sure they'll have one or two players who have been around the game a bit. People should realise that and know they'll have eleven players giving it their all from the first whistle.

"However, I feel it is all about our attitude. The first ten minutes will be important, we have to stamp our authority on the game and I would assume our fitness level and ability will be a great bonus.

"But it is not always about ability, it sometimes comes down to the nitty gritty and we have to be spot-on.

"It's a wee bit different to last week, we are going from a derby to facing a smaller club but we have to be focused from the outset."

Smith, though, is well aware that such a match puts Hibs in a no-win situation, any sort of victory will be greeted with little more than a shrug of the shoulders while any other result will be met with ridicule.

To that end, he agrees with boss John Hughes that a 1-0 win, while unlikely to be met with universal approval, would be acceptable.

He said: "The only thing we want is to be in the next round, although the fans will probably want to see a few more goals than just the one. But, if we were to win 1-0 all the way to the final, no-one would be bothered.

"Cup competition is all about getting to the next stage and we have to guard against anything else happening. If I have one or two things to do then, hopefully, I will do them well and, equally, if it's five or six then I'd hope to do the same.

"It's likely we'll have most of the ball and I might not see it for spells but I've had four or five years of senior football, I've played in more than 160 games so I believe I've built up the experience to deal with that situation if it arises."

Speaking of winning successive rounds 1-0 and reaching the final itself raises the inevitable question, after failing to land this particular piece of silverware since 1902: "Could this be Hibs' year?"

Smith said: "You never know. You take each round as it comes but there is always a massive bit of luck involved.

"You can batter a team and they win 1-0, you can be battered for 90 minutes and win 1-0.

"We've been doing well in the league and some people will say that we have a wee chance this year.

"We'll just look to tomorrow, hope to win, and then concentrate on the lLeague again and deal with the next round when it comes up and so on.

"The one thing we do have in our team is match-winners.

"I remember playing against Hibs for Motherwell and you'd sometimes be thinking you were doing all right and all of a sudden you are a goal down because Derek Riordan has put one in from 25 yards.

"But the one thing I do know is that you have to be together, eleven guys working hard for each other and as hard as each other. That's what brings success.

"Speaking to a few of the boys they feel that a couple of games this season have swung our way in the last five minutes but to me that's not luck, it's ability. For example, good teams seem to get more penalties but that's because they are in the opposition box far more often.

"My definition of luck is that you make your own. A game lasts 90 minute so there's nothing wrong or lucky about scoring in the 89th."

While progression in the Cup is the primary objective, Smith also believes victory can help spark another long unbeaten run for Hughes' players.

He said: "Drawing with Hearts wasn't the result we wanted, but it was a starting block for the boys after that run of 12 matches unbeaten came to an end.

"A good result tomorrow then we are back on that winning streak, confidence is a massive thing and hopefully that would help propel us on."