Scottish League Cup final: John McGlynn would be due share of plaudits if Hearts win, says Darren Barr

The Tynecastle board relieved McGlynn of his duties last month after winning just eight of his 34 games in charge.

But one of his final acts as manager was to guide the side through their January League Cup semi-final with Inverness at Easter Road.

That penalty shoot-out success has teed up a Hampden decider with St Mirren on Sunday but caretaker coach Gary Locke will be the man who leads out the side on Glasgow's southside unless a successor to McGlynn is appointed in the few days left before the big game.

But no matter who is in the dugout at the National Stadium, Barr believes homage should be paid to McGlynn if last year's William Hill Scottish Cup winners bring home their second successive piece of silverware.

He said: "The manager did all he could and we need to take some responsibility for him leaving.

"But if we do win the cup, it will definitely be down to him in part. He did quite a lot in quite a short space of time. I'd like to think that everyone will still be thinking about him.

"He gave a lot to us and was always great with us, so it will definitely be down to him if we win it."

Hearts right-back Fraser Mullen has suffered cup final heartache after being ruled out for the season with a broken foot.

Scans today showed a fracture in the foot which Mullen injured during Sunday's goalless derby with Hibernian.

The 19-year-old, who made his debut in the League Cup semi-final over Inverness, had been in line to play against St Mirren.

Mullen told Hearts TV: "Gutted is an understatement. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time, but I'll have an operation this week hopefully and then it will be all about getting back fitter and stronger for next season."

The teenager joins Danny Grainger, Marius Zaliukas, Callum Paterson and Scott Robinson in suffering a premature end to his season.

Another 19-year-old, Brad McKay, replaced Mullen for his Hearts debut in Sunday's Easter Road clash but Darren Barr could play right-back at Hampden after missing the derby through suspension.

And Dylan McGowan is also confident of returning to the squad after suffering an ankle injury while playing right-back against Motherwell on March 2.

The 21-year-old told Hearts TV: "It's going very well at the moment, I'm still very hopeful that I'll be in contention for the final, which is good - considering when it happened I got told that it would be four weeks or something like that.

"I have been working very hard trying get myself as ready as possible for the final."

Meanwhile, St Mirren midfielder Paul McGowan is determined to grasp the opportunity presented by his first cup final appearance.

The former Celtic player has appeared in the Champions League and Europa League but Sunday's Scottish Communities League Cup clash with Hearts is a first for the 25-year-old.

McGowan is aware it could also be his last - and he wants to make sure he has no regrets.

"Speaking to some of the boys, it's their first cup final," he said.

"It's my first cup final. Some players don't even get to play in a cup final.

"You just need to make the most of it. Obviously some of the players who played in the last cup final are still here.

"That was a hard time for them when they got beat off Rangers, it was a close game and Rangers went down two men.

"That still hurts some of the players and they want to make amends."

McGowan and St Mirren showed they could handle the big occasion when they beat Celtic 3-2 in the semi-final, taking the game to their highly-fancied opponents from the start and bouncing back after losing an equaliser in the final minute of the first half.

McGowan said: "We just know it's one game, it's cup football and anything can happen. Hearts will be saying the same thing as well.

"They will think it's a great chance for them to win a cup as well even though the troubles they have been through. It would be a great time for them to win a cup.

"But we will do our utmost to stop them and hopefully we can bring the cup home to Paisley."

St Mirren defender Marc McAusland has signed a new contract that will tie him to his hometown club until the summer of 2015.

The club revealed the centre-back had taken time out of preparations for the Scottish Communities League Cup final against Hearts on Sunday to sign a two-year extension.

McAusland has made more than 100 appearances for Saints, with whom he rejoined in 2010 following a season with Queen of the South.

St Mirren also announced that Jamie McKernon had left the club after "cancelling his contract by mutual consent".

Taken from telegraph.co.uk