THE phrase 'Feed the Hippo' has been synonymous with Myles Hippolyte ever since his Livingston days but it is a little-known fact that every now and then the Falkirk striker still enjoys feeding time on a Friday with the family of former Hibs favourite Peter Marinello. The pacy Englishman resided with the Marinello family when he first moved to West Lothian, even if he never actually met the man who was dubbed the new George Best when he joined Arsenal from the Easter Road club for £100,000 back in January 1970. While the connection with the family continues to this day, in Edinburgh parlance, it could probably be said that Hippolyte will have 'had his tea' if he scores the goal which condemns Hibs to a third successive season in the purgatory of Scotland's second tier. Typically in a battle between two teams who were separated by just two goals after a season's play, and who have drawn four of their five meetings this season, tonight's second leg kicks off with the action perfectly poised at two goals apiece.

“When I first came to Livingston I was living with a Hibs-daft family, the Marinellos," said Hippolyte. "They are fantastic people and I still go to their house now and then.

"I never met Peter Marinello," he added, "but it was nice because I was away from home and not near my own family so it was great to stay with a family. They looked after me well and I still go round for meals with them on a Friday sometimes. Maybe if I score the winner they won’t invite me back for dinner! But they always wanted me to do well. There’s a little bit of competition there but it’s all good."

The general consensus between these two teams is that Hibs boast the stronger squad in terms of quality but Falkirk have a great first eleven. That analysis does a huge disservice to the roles played by the likes of Hippolyte, Bob McHugh and young Kevin O'Hara, all of whom have rotated into Peter Houston's line-up at crucial moments and delivered for the team.

Hippolyte, for instance, who worked with current Rangers manager Mark Warburton in his days coming through the ranks at the Brentford academy, has three goals to his name this season, two of which came against the Ibrox club. One came in a 1-1 draw in the colours of Livingston in November; the other, an equaliser at the Falkirk Stadium as the hosts came from behind to win 3-2.

“We are more than an eleven man team, definitely," said Hippolyte. "All the boys on the bench are raring to get a start, that’s our main aim. But if we don’t start we have to try as hard as we can to help the team.

"So far that has gone in our favour and we have done that every time," he added. "Hopefully we can keep that up and whoever is on the bench on Friday can bring the same energy. The boys who start do as much as they can and leave the rest to the boys coming on."

If tonight's sixth and final instalment of the Falkirk-Hibs soap opera contains as much quality and excitement as the last one then visitors to the Falkirk Stadium will be in for a treat. Hippolyte, a late substitute in the first match, left Easter Road on Tuesday night delighted to have navigated a difficult assignment with a 2-2 scoreline. It is a result which seemed unlikely when, with his side already 2-1 down, David McCracken controversially appeared to use a hand to manipulate the ball away from danger in his own penalty box. “We left there with a good draw and now we come back here looking to do the business," he said. "I think we can, we have shown that on many occasions."

The play-offs are a theatre of cruelty, however, as shown by the fates experienced by Livingston. An 8-6 aggregate defeat to Stranraer saw them demoted to Scotland's third tier this week and the watching Hippolyte sympathises with the club's plight, even if he plans to be two divisions higher on the ladder by the time this season is done. Kilmarnock wait in the play-off final, determined to see whether it is Falkirk or Hibs who make it there.

“Yeah, it’s upsetting," said Hippolyte. "I went there to watch them because I still have good mates there. My heart goes out to the club, they gave me a good chance to set a platform for myself. But that’s just the way football works.

“The start of the season didn’t go the best there," he added. "But on the other side of it I could be playing in the Premiership so this has been a great move for me and it’s something I am very happy about. I can only walk around with a smile on my face every day."