MX23RW : Monday, April 29 03:28:40| >> :600:148167:148167:

Paul Hanlon warns Hibs about "potential banana skin" against Stranraer

Paul Hanlon warns Hibs about
© Reuters
Hibernian travel to Stair Park this weekend looking to make the last eight of the Scottish Cup.

Paul Hanlon admits Hibernian's Hampden nous will count for nothing as they bid to avoid a Stair Park slip-up against Stranraer.

Hanlon is a Easter Road hero having helped take the Scottish Cup back to Leith in 2016.

And Jack Ross' current side have plenty of recent experience of playing at the National Stadium having reached the last four of both last season's competition and this term's Betfred Cup.

They will hope to take another step towards a return to Mount Florida on Sunday when they travel south to take on Stranraer in the last 16.

But Hanlon has warned his team-mates to beware the threat of a banana skin.

He said: "You'd like to think that experience will help but everyone knows what can happen in cup football.

"You have to prepare properly and be as professional as you can and that's what we'll do this weekend.

"Yeah we've got experience of going to Hampden but that doesn't prepare us for going to Stranraer away.

"I've never been before and it's a fair journey away. There's a potential banana skin there for us.

"They are a team in form, scoring a lot of goals so that makes it very dangerous. We can't take them lightly and we won't."

That 2016 triumph over Rangers sparked wild scenes of jubilation round Edinburgh as Hibs ended their 114-year cup hoodoo.

But their last two visits to Hampden have produced only despair, with Hearts claiming victory in last year's delayed Scottish Cup semi before St Johnstone produced a shock 3-0 win in the last four of this season's Betfred Cup.

But that pain has not put Hanlon off going in search of fresh glory.

He said: "Obviously there has been disappointments throughout the season.

"But they come every season. You're not going to go through it all plain sailing.

"The majority of this campaign has been positive for us and we just see this as another opportunity to take a step further.

"The disappointments have been so big because they've been in the final stages of major tournaments. That's what makes them so heartbreaking and difficult to get over.

"But on the flip side we're getting to these situations time and time again.

"So we're just viewing this as another opportunity to get to these big matches and hopefully we'll go one further."

ID:443550: cacheID:443550:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3770:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Martin Boyle in action for Hibernian in January 2015
Read Next:
Martin Boyle hits back at "bizarre" John Hughes diving comments
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic110082275581
2RangersRangers110074245078
3Hearts101046341263
4Kilmarnock10104334952
5St Mirren10013945-643
6Dundee10014556-1141
Relegation Group
1Hibernian11004752-542
2Aberdeen11003649-1338
3Motherwell10014652-637
4St Johnstone10012549-2431
5Ross County10013258-2630
6Livingston11002459-3521
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
12Livingston3339212259-3718


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!