Hibs captain James McPake wants to win the William Hill Scottish Cup against Hearts so fans can end their century-long wait and revel in the triumph for the next 100 years. Hibs go into the first all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final since 1896 seeking to win the trophy for the first time since 1902. It has long been the subject of taunts from fans of Hearts, who lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2006, and while McPake insists the chance to be history-makers will not be on the mind of Hibs' players, it is an opportunity. He said: "It's something that spurs us on, but on the day we will not be thinking about that 110 years, we'll just be thinking about that 90 minutes, or 90 minutes plus extra time. That's our chance to wipe away all the 110 years of history and make us heroes at this football club. For this football club to win the Scottish Cup would be massive, but for the fans especially, if we could go out and win it against Hearts it would be something they'd talk about for probably the next 110 years.'' In 14 appearances, McPake has made a short, but crucial, contribution in Hibs' history since being signed on loan from Coventry by Pat Fenlon in January and was immediately appointed captain, sent off on his debut at Rangers. However, he returned from suspension to play a vital role as Hibs secured SPL survival with a win over Dunfermline in the penultimate game of the season. The Hampden final is set to be his last for Hibs, with McPake poised to return to Coventry, now an npower League One side following their relegation from the Championship, next season. McPake went on: "Unless I hear otherwise I'll be back at Coventry on July 1. I knew as soon as we got to the final that it's a good chance it will be my last game for Hibs. It's something I've dealt with already. What better way than to go out hopefully as a Scottish Cup-winning captain.'' Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas has taken a different approach to manager Paulo Sergio, describing the contest as "the biggest game in the club's history''. While Sergio attempted to downplay the significance of his side's opponents in the first all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final since 1896, Zaliukas believes there has been no more important fixture in Hearts' 138-year history. The defender said: "It's the biggest game in the club's history. It's a perfect day. I wouldn't say anyone is nervous. Everyone is excited and just can't wait for Saturday. Everyone is thinking what it's going to be like if we win or if we lose, but everyone is very confident and we're going to go to win. Everyone is going to be involved in history.'' Even owner Vladimir Romanov, who said his passion for football had declined earlier this season and put Hearts up for sale while limiting his own financial input into the club, will be at Hampden. Romanov may be tempted to do the pre-match team talk in the dressing room, but Zaliukas insists everyone in the Hearts squad knows what is at stake and rousing speeches will not be necessary. Zaliukas said: "We know what we have to do and we're ready. I don't think a lot has to be said to the team because everyone understands the importance of the game and we're going to be ready for it. Everyone is buzzing. Everyone wants to win.''
Source: FOOTYMAD
