Hearts ace Toby Sibbick talks Hampden error, celebrations after beating Hibs and his own pandemic struggles

The Tynecastle side took just 21 minutes to tally up what felt like an already insurmountable lead in the Scottish Cup semi-final after Stephen Kingsley curled in an audacious free-kick to add to Ellis Simms’ thunderous opener.

Given the Hampden history between the clubs, not to mention Hearts seeing off their arch-rivals 3-1 in Gorgie the weekend before, it looked very much a case of how much the pre-match favourites were going to win by, not whether Hibs could mount a comeback.

But any notions the game was going to be a proverbial walk in the park were quickly dispelled a minute later when Sibbick got caught trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, which eventually resulted in Chris Cadden pulling one back and ensuring the final 68 minutes (plus nine minutes of stoppage time) would be incredibly nervy for the maroon half of Edinburgh.

Some pointed to a two-handed push in the back by Hibs stalwart Lewis Stevenson as a reason for the error but, sitting down with the media just a few days after the triumph, Sibbick wasn’t prepared to offer any excuses.

“I know I made a mistake for their goal in the semi-final. Next time I will just smash it away,” he said with a rueful smile. “It’s tough when you are in and out of the team. Every player wants that consistent run. You just have to stay mentally focused and if you keep yourself fit and ready and sharp then nothing will surprise you.”

The January signing from Barnsley wasn’t entirely convincing in the time prior to Cadden’s goal, but the error seemed to reenergise the defender who had a pretty flawless performance at the back from that point forward as the rear guard – which lost both Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley to injury – faced sustained pressure from their