Gary Mackay: Hearts can put right a wrong against Hibs

What a difference a week makes!You can't take anything away from what Hearts have done in the last two games '“ six points, seven goals for, one against.

Esmael Goncalves, right, battles for Hearts at Fir Park

That’s an excellent return from two hard games, and I certainly didn’t see it coming.

The Rangers game was one of the best performances we’ve produced over the last ten years. I think the likes of Don Cowie, Perry Kitchen and Jamie Walker had their best games for the club, and the new guys came in and hit the ground running.

Esmael Goncalves has looked a real quality striker over the two games, but Alex Tziolis looks the pick of the new signings. He oozes class. I’d like to think we’d be able to tie him down on a longer-term contract once he sees what the club is all about.

We can now look forward to Sunday’s Scottish Cup game against Hibs with a level of optimism that I don’t think many Hearts fans had a week ago. I’ve always felt we would beat Hibs, but I think that’s mainly down to the fact I always expect us to beat Hibs regardless of circumstances. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of Hearts supporters had been a bit concerned about this Sunday’s game prior to our last two results, but I think we’re all entitled to be pretty excited about it now.

We can’t get too carried away, though, because if things can turn so positively in such a short space of time, they can also turn negatively just as quickly.

But if we approach the game in the same positive manner as we did against Rangers on Wednesday, I’d be very confident. It’s been such a joy to see us play aggressively with two up front over the last week, and I really hope both Bjorn Johnsen and Goncalves start on Sunday.

The players and management might not talk publicly about it being a revenge mission because there are so few survivors, but I think, from a supporter’s perspective, there is a feeling that we need to right a wrong from last year. There is no escaping the fact a bit of negativity has lingered around the club since we lost to Hibs last year, and the only way we can truly banish it in the eyes of a lot of supporters is to make sure we progress to the quarter-final this time.