Hearts hero Ryan McGowan desperate to have the last laugh on Hibs in all-capital final

Apr 17 2012 By David McCarthy

RYAN McGOWAN isn’t adverse to a bit of kidology with the Hibs fans. Anyone who follows his Twitter feed could tell you that.

Well, Hearts’ young Australian defender can expect his inbox to be bulging after his latest poke at their cabbage and ribs.

McGowan was on a high in the wake of Sunday’s semi-final victory over Celtic which set up the first all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup Final in 116 years.

“Do you realise that nobody alive has seen a Hibs-Hearts final?” he was asked.

“Do you realise that nobody alive has seen Hibs win the Cup?” came the reply, as quick as a flash.

McGowan was grinning. He knows exactly how big this thing is going to be between now and May 19 and he is planning to enjoy every minute of it.

The Aussie scored in a derby at Easter Road earlier this season and knows Hearts haven’t been beaten by their city rivals since May 2009 when Derek Riordan hit a Tynecastle winner.

Since then they’ve met 10 times and Hearts have won seven and drawn three of those meetings. Three of the wins have come this season and McGowan admitted knowing Hibs were awaiting the winners gave Paulo Sergio’s men an extra edge against Celtic last Sunday.

The right-back said: “I don’t want to jinx it but I’ve never lost to Hibs.

“The fact they had beaten Aberdeen was a pretty big incentive for us going into the Celtic game. But we had to focus on our game because we knew we would have to play well to win.

“The manager didn’t mention the possibility of an all-Edinburgh final, though, he kept us concentrated.

“We were actually training when the first semi was being played so we didn’t see any of it. But with Hibs winning it definitely gave us a bit of an edge going into our game.

“We knew we had a chance of playing in probably the biggest derby ever.

“It’s going to be a massive occasion. I had 50 texts asking for tickets within an hour of the final whistle. It will give Edinburgh a massive boost – and the whole of Scottish football.”

McGowan was born in Adelaide but his family are Celtic fans originally from Glasgow. He doesn’t know if they will come to the Final but is assuming they will be speaking to him by then.

He said: “It will make a welcome change from one of the Old Firm always making the Final. To have two capital teams will be special. It’s a great advert for the game around the world.

“There are a lot of Hearts and Hibs fans in Australia and all over the globe. This will give the world the chance to see two sides outside of the Old Firm are capable of reaching the Final.

“It’s going to be some build-up, although I didn’t even know the date of the Final until someone mentioned it after our win. I’m not too sure if my family will be coming from Australia for the game – I’ll need to speak to them.

“They are all Celtic fans so they might not be speaking to me for a few days.

“There will be people coming from all over the world to be at this final.

“It’s one of those games that will be part of history. Nobody will want to miss it.

“I’m just delighted we could make it happen. There’s that element of beating your rivals and denying them the trophy. But we’re not worried about how long they’ve gone without lifting the Cup – we’re focused on ourselves. If we play to our capabilities and strengths we have a good chance.”

McGowan wasn’t a Hearts player when the club last won the trophy in 2006. Now the 22-year-old wants a piece of the action.

He added: “I’ve been at the club five-and-a-half years now – I joined just after they had won the Scottish Cup last time so I know how big it is.

“Jamie MacDonald, Andrew Driver and a few of the more experienced players have told us all about it.

“I stay with a lady who is a diehard Hearts fan so she has the DVDs out all the time and has pictures all over the house. It’s something I’m looking to be part of this time.”

Team-mate Darren Barr has the same ambition. The former Falkirk captain savoured a final appearance against Rangers in 2009, despite ending up on the losing team, and would love to land a winners’ medal this time round.

The 27-year-old, who has carved a niche for himself as a holding midfielder in recent weeks, said: “I played in the Final against Rangers and it was brilliant. But we have to come to Hampden for this final and give a good account of ourselves.

“Our recent record against Hibs goes out the window. It’s a derby and it is a cup game. They are one-off matches.

“The hype is going to be massive ahead of the Final but we have to focus on the games that come before that.

“I know it’s dull but it’s the truth. The incentive is there for both clubs and we are looking forward to it.”

Taken from the Daily Record