Hibs boss Pat Fenlon is determined to get back to winning ways after Saturday’s defeat to Aberdeen, and insists that he has enough quality strikers available to combat the loss of Paul Heffernan.
Speaking to Hibernian TV ahead of the derby Fenlon said: “There is no better way to get ourselves back into that mode of winning derbies; it’s the quarter-final of the cup and it is a big derby game for us.
“So it gives us an opportunity to get into the semi-final. Once you get that far you’ve got a great opportunity to lift the trophy. First of all we need to make sure that we take care of business against Hearts.
“We were on a decent run and we want to get back onto another one and that’s the key for us.
“I’ve said that before we can get on runs where we’re losing one in nine and doing that again puts you in a really strong position.
“That’s what we’ve got to try and do and there is no better way to start than in the quarter-final of the Cup against Hearts.”
On form striker Paul Heffernan is cup-tied for tonight’s game but, boss Fenlon believes Hibernian still have enough quality up front to win the tie and says he wants the team to be creative tonight.
He added: “We’re okay, Paul is a loss to us which is disappointing but we knew he wouldn’t have him.
“We have some decent strikers at the club in James, Rowan, young Ross and Danny Handling is coming back to fitness, so we have plenty of striking options.
“You can win football matches if you score one and if you win it by one then you’re happy enough – that’s just the way that it is.
“We’ve just got to make sure that we create enough chances to win games and I think that is the key. We’ve had James in and probably not given him enough service, we’ve got to make sure that we can get enough balls to him tomorrow night if he plays.
“That gives us chances and you’ve seen in the Stranraer game that we are capable of scoring goals.”
The club have announced that the East Stand is sold out for the fixture whilst tickets remain available in the Famous Five Stand and the West Stand.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
