Their meetings with one another having defined how the end of their seasons will pan out the long wait began for both these clubs on Saturday night after Hibs finally asserted themselves over Falkirk.

A first win in this season's five meetings with these opponents who had, a fortnight earlier, denied them a place in the Scottish Cup final made the clash of the two teams that had long been fancied to beat Hibs to promotion irrelevant and there was clear satisfaction at the emphatic nature of it.

As to the reward, by contrast with the full four weeks Falkirk must find a way of filling until their cup final appearance - fraught as that is with risk in terms of the potential impact on their match sharpness - an 18 day break looks relatively manageable as Hibs look to ensure they are in the best possible physical condition.

Admittedly that looked like being a particularly tough challenge for Jordan Forster as he hobbled to the sideline, unable to put any weight on a damaged ankle, before being stretchered the rest of the way round Falkirk Stadium, but for his teammates it is as much about psychological readiness.

Hibs know it is their perceived weakness in that department that opponents will seek to play upon until they prove that this batch of players is different to their predecessors and in that sense there was a powerful message from one of the relatively few survivors of last year's play-off debacle.

Tigerish from the off on Saturday as he and captain Liam Craig set the tone in injecting energy and purpose into the collective effort, Scott Robertson subsequently spurned the psycho-babble of modern coach-speak in demonstrating an awareness of what truly drives competitors, namely the need to find a way to win.

"It's not always the case you get what you deserve in football," acknowledged the now vastly experienced former Scotland midfielder.

"We've potentially got four massive games coming up now and it's not about the performance, it's about the result.

"We are going to need to have a bit of steel about us because whoever we face in the semi-final is going to be eager to get to the final and if we get to the final it will be even more difficult.

"I feel we've shown in certain games this season that we've got the steel and the grit to do it. When we've been required to do it we've done it.

"There were question marks over us before this game, if we could perform on a day like today, but the lads deserve great credit for doing it."

He was responding to the valid observation made by Peter Houston, Falkirk's manager, that of the three Championship teams now contesting what will surely be the right to meet Motherwell in the play-off final, Hibs boast the best football team but that 'bottle' will be at least as important a factor come those matches.

Houston's words served as a warning in a different way since he noted that try as he and his players might there was nothing at stake for them after their last chance of making the play-offs ended the previous weekend and it showed whereas, as he put it: "Hibs were more up for it."

That will not be the case in any of Hibs' remaining matches this season but for all that they can take great confidence from the way they executed under pressure on Saturday.

All the moreso because of the additional evidence provided of the range of threat they now command.

The destructive pace of Martin Boyle in setting up then scoring their first, nerve-settlingly early goal; finisher's instinct of Jason Cummings in working his way round two opponents in a tight situation to walk in the second; and composure of Doninique Malonga when released one-on-one with opposing goal-keeper Jamie MacDonald late on all bode well.

Scott Allan's play-making skill was meanwhile central to the best of their play as it has increasingly been as the season has gone on and defensively there is now time to work on the on-going nervousness that Houston, after the Cup semi-final, rightly identified as afflicting them when opponents get decent crosses in.

Details of their plans to occupy their time, which will include a trip away, have yet to be outlined but finishing position and form surely entitle them to be considered favourites going into the play-offs.

By contrast Falkirk now have even more time to fill ahead of the Cup final and while Houston said their plans have also yet to be finalised David McCracken, their central defender, gave the game away when revealing that they are heading to the Welsh seaside.

"There is a structure in place," he said.

"There will be a few days off, back to training and then off to Swansea for a week with a couple of games against decent opposition. That will keep us freshened up for the final."

A qualified personal trainer McCracken sets an impressive example to younger colleagues in an era in which Scottish footballers seem increasingly to be gaining exposure to better lifestyle and conditioning habits.

"There is no chance I'll take this week off," said the 32-year-old.

"I'll have three or four sessions just to make sure that I am ticking over. Personally, I feel that's the way I need to go as opposed to taking a break and coming back."

In terms of the overall preparation, however, McCracken readily defers to the vastly experienced Houston and his team in expressing confidence that they will ensure that the squad is ready for their big day, saying simply: "The coaching staff have everything set-up and the boys will look after themselves."