Hibs Scottish Cup expectations raised as Easter Road 'warriors' aim high under Hampden hero Gray - Exclusive
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Winning the Scottish Cup is both an aim and an expectation. Putting it like that has a way of focusing the mind, doesn’t it?
Warren O’Hora makes no excuse for speaking in such ambitious terms. The Irishman knew what he was signing on for when he joined Hibs in the summer. He understood the importance of this competition to a club whose history is defined, to a degree, by one of the longest love-hate relationships in the history of football.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt’s not just the fact that no-one operating under the leadership of new gaffer, former captain and all-round Cup legend David Gray will be ALLOWED to treat this weekend’s visit of Clydebank with anything less than total commitment. In this squad, a group who came through hellfire during a cataclysmic start to the campaign, there are none who would even be tempted to slack off because it’s ‘only’ the West of Scotland Premier League leaders pitching up at Easter Road.
Just one of several first teamers playing through pain to suit up for Hibs, O’Hora – who talks about “warriors” in the dressing room – explained: “Clydebank in the Scottish Cup, for me personally, is the biggest game of the season. First of all, because it's the next one.
“But, of course, any player quickly learns what the Cup means to this club. I don't think you need any introduction to it now. Obviously, the Gaffer is a hero for this club thanks, in large part, to his role in the Cup win.


“It's something that I think every Hibs player wants to do. You always want to do well in the Cup.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“You want to go and win it. And that's the expectation of this club because it's such a big club. It's already provided such a great moment in this club’s history.
“It's something that we'll be fully focused on. I think there's a lot of boys in that dressing room who think the same.
“Things are going really well for us, no doubt about it. But the gaffer is definitely keeping us grounded, keeping us working hard, with everyone pitching in.”


O’Hora, who missed three games after limping out of the 2-1 Boxing Day win over Hearts at Tynecastle because of a foot/ankle injury, looked composed and comfortable enough as Hibs beat Motherwell 3-1 on Saturday. Victory lifted Gray’s men, bottom of the heap just a few weeks previously, into the top six in the Scottish Premiership for the first time in season of extremes.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdInsisting they should now be looking to advance even further, with teams in the coveted European places all experiencing different degrees of back-sliding over a packed festive period, O’Hora said: “It's top six but we still have a lot of work to do. I mean, we'll take that, no doubt about it. It's a big change from the last two or three months
“But this club should be even higher, in my opinion. I think every team goes through a wobble in the season. We just happened to have ours at the very start.
“It's not how you start a league; it's how you finish it. That's it. We need to finish it strong.
“We have ten games before the split. Five home games and five away games left. So we've got a lot of points up for grabs still. We can definitely push up.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I think we've got a bit of belief now in the squad. Sometimes football is a weird sport, and a bit of luck went against us earlier in the season - and there's no doubt about that. A bit of luck is coming for us now.
“We’ve also had a change of shape, which I think has definitely helped. I think it's definitely suited to our team - and you have to credit the gaffer and the staff for that.
“I think that's one loss in ten games now for us. It's a massive turnaround, but we still have a lot of work to do.
“As I say, with ten games before the split, we need to start looking up still and just keep chasing the people ahead of us. Keep doing what we're doing, focus on the next game and just keep going.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The gaffer is banging into us that we don't be complacent. There's no easy game in this league - and I think we learned that the hard way at the start of the year.”
Thriving on the right side of a back three since Gray changed formation, former Brighton and MK Dons defender O’Hora revealed: “It's something that I've played my whole career in. Down in England, it's the actual shape that I've always played in. It's something that I feel most comfortable with, to be honest. I'm really enjoying it.
“I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it at the start of the season. I've loved my time up here. I still am loving it from the get-go.
“But the change of shape, I think, me and probably a few others, we look a little bit more comfortable. I feel more comfortable in it. We're getting results from it.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It's something that the gaffer has been perfect with. He really works it well in training with us. We go through a lot of patterns and things like that.
“Everyone knows their job. It's going well for us. I'm really enjoying it.”
Not entirely enjoyable is playing with a grimace, on occasion, whenever he takes a knock on an injury that falls into the special category for professional footballers. Really painful. But not bad enough to keep them away from the game.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I'm not the only one, trust me,” said O’Hora, the 25-year-old adding: “There's a lot of boys who go through the pain barrier; there are some warriors in there.
“I can't speak on anybody else's behalf, but I'm sure there's a lot of painkillers to be taken and whatever else to be done in terms of strapping. The physios do their work, and the doctors do their work at this club, which gives us the best possible chance to be on the pitch. Luckily enough, we have a squad who wants to be on the pitch every game and it's really doing well for us at the moment.
“My injury I think I needed a little bit of rest to be 100%. It's one of them football injuries where you can get along with it – but any little kick or anything like that could probably affect it. But luckily enough, I got back on the pitch at the weekend.
“I was still on the bench and around the squad, trying to help as much as I can. But to be back out there and play a full 90 minutes is exactly what I wanted and to get a win is perfect.”