THERE is a television camera crew following events at Hearts this season for a fly-on-the-wall documentary and while you would have to pity the head of continuity, there's no doubting the drama of the day-to-day action they will have captured throughout this campaign.

Robbie Neilson can only offer a wry grin as he admits that the twists and turns in the script and the highs and lows would probably render it all too unbelievable were it pitched to Hollywood. But truth, as they say, is stranger than fiction.

And having started the season with an almighty bang, more compelling than any high-octane car chase, finishing it with a flourish with Scottish Cup victory on May 13 would be the equivalent of escaping a burning building and walking off into the sunset to live happily ever after - well, at least until next season's sequel.

The players don't need to be reminded what is at stake. But, according to the right-back, they did need a gentle recap when it came to the best way of achieving it. The Hearts huddle which preceded the Rangers match a couple of weeks ago wasn't intended to stir up antagonism among the visitors, it wasn't even a symbolic circling of the wagons - a portent of what was to come in the following week - it was simply the culmination of some positive thinking and a reminder that they are all in it together.

As far as Neilson is concerned, it was timely. Having struggled in the previous three matches, a sports psychologist had been enlisted to help sort out minds muddled by expectations, ambitions and a seeping fear of failure.

"We had someone come in and he said he had to try to get ourselves together before a game and make sure we went into it as a real team. He came in as a one-off and gave a wee speech and that was one of his ideas and we decided to take it on board and I think it has helped us.

"I think we will do the same thing at Hampden against Hibs. I think it has worked in the last two games. It has helped us and has got everybody up for the games. It's good for us as a unit and shows we are together. It's not about showing anybody else that, it's for us and reminds us that we have all stuck by each other.

"Elvis reminds us that we are second in the league, we are Hearts and we don't fear anybody."

Second in the league is an achievement, but second best in the cup won't be good enough. Elvis will undoubtedly remind them of that this afternoon, even if Neilson, for one, is already well aware of the difference between success and failure in the Scottish Cup.

On the groundstaff in 1998, he was in the crowd as Hearts lifted the trophy. "That was a nice period and great for the guys involved in it. It was nice to be there, but I would rather be playing in a team that won it than watching.

"At that time we had a lot of great players here and quite a few of them went on to bigger and better things, but I think for the majority of them that will still be the highlight of their careers. It's difficult to win things in football so when the chance comes along you've got to take them.

"I don't see the reception the likes of Stephane Adam gets when he comes back to Tynecastle because we are usually in the dressing room at half-time but I speak to him and I know the fans worship him for that cup final goal."

So negligible are his goal contributions, Neilson knows that dreams of emulating that feat may be slim, but he would love to follow in his footsteps and lift the cup.

"I don't think you need to look at individually doing something special, it's more about getting the result and getting a win, that's the main thing. It doesn't matter who gets the limelight, we win and lose as a team."

But before dreams of open-top bus parades through maroon-swathed capital streets can come to fruition, there are two teams to beat. The first is Hibs this afternoon and nothing can be considered a gimme given the previous meetings between the two this term, while, if they do safely negotiate today's tussle, Neilson refuses to disrespect their potential cup-final opponents.

He is astute enough to accept the reality that fans see the Hibs game as the "real" cup final, and the match on May 13 as a mere formality for whichever of the two capital side's makes it there: "You can't just turn up and pick up a cup - you have to earn it."

Despite the diplomacy, this season marks an excellent opportunity for one of the capital clubs to lift the Scottish Cup. That's why this semi-final has been dubbed the most important derby this century.

"I don't think I will be nervous, though," muses Neilson, whose consistency this term has bolstered his self-belief. "It's just a case of going out there and doing your own thing. I've played in quite a few Edinburgh derbies and it's always just a case of trying to keep a level head. I think if you get sucked into the hype that always surrounds these games you lose focus.

"I've played pretty consistently and stayed in the team and I'm happy about that, but football is one of those games where you have to be at your best every time and you can't afford to drop the standards, especially at Hearts with the size of squad we've got. There are a lot of good players and they could come in and take your place, so you have got to stay on your toes."

There were fears that manager Valdas Ivanauskas may have had to delve into that squad to select a replacement for Neilson for today's match after he went off early against Falkirk last week with an injured ankle. He has recovered in time and, having experienced the lows that this season has thrown up, he is intent on enjoying the highs. Or, more precisely, helping carve out those highs.

He has been at the club too long and had to shut out too many protests and boardroom wrangles to let it throw him now. Like the build-up to all derbies, this one has been full of headline moments, but the team are in it together and Neilson refuses to lose focus.

Taken from the Scotsman