HE might have missed the worst of it, but that is scant consolation to Jorge Claros.
In fact, the Honduran's humiliation was perhaps even greater than that suffered by those Hibernian players forced to finish last season's William Hill Scottish Cup final, his involvement having been curtailed after just 42 minutes. The midfielder still recalls with shame the feeling of scurrying off to be replaced by Ivan Sproule, even if his side only trailed Hearts 2-1 at the time, so when he talks of exorcising that memory his motivation is unquestionable.
As Claros stood in a corridor inside Easter Road on Saturday, clutching a bottle of champagne after the latest in a series of accomplished displays, it was difficult to reconcile the relaxed figure with the one who struggled so badly at Hampden last May. Fully fit and having adapted to the Scottish game so successfully that he called the president of parent club Motagua recently to plead for a permanent move, the 27-year-old goes into Sunday's final in fine fettle.
Whether the same can be said of Hibs is less certain. Although there are likely to be just six survivors from last May in Pat Fenlon's 16-man squad – perhaps only Claros, James McPake, Paul Hanlon and Leigh Griffiths in the starting XI – it is legitimate to assume much has changed, but the evidence of late suggests otherwise. Granted, Hibs have won three consecutive games and completed their Clydesdale Bank Premier League campaign in seventh place but, despite being far better than Dundee on Saturday, their efforts almost were undermined by profligacy and their discomfort on the rare occasions their visitors advanced. Celtic may exploit such frailties at Hampden.
Griffiths, in particular, endured a frustrating afternoon. His colleagues seemed determined to ensure he departed from Easter Road with a goal, belatedly doing their utmost to funnel the ball to the striker in prime positions after a campaign in which the 22-year-old has assumed the creative burden himself. It did not work but, most importantly, the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee survived the match unscathed. Fenlon, too, should have both McPake and Tim Clancy back in training tomorrow, although Jordan Forster, particularly, made a strong case for Hampden inclusion with another mature performance at centre-back.
Should he miss out, the 19-year-old can console himself with the example of Matt Lockwood. The Dundee defender might be 17 years older than his Hibs counterpart but is preparing for one of the most prestigious matches of his career when he travels to Ghana during the summer break to play in the Game of Hope, a biannual charity match arranged by Real Madrid's Michael Essien and boasting the likes of Florent Malouda, Claude Makelele, Michael Ballack and Luka Modric against an Africa select with Essien, Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Adebayor.
"I played a couple of years ago and I've managed to sneak another invite through someone at Chelsea - I'm sure the boys will be excited to hear of the SPL meeting," said the Englishman, drily referencing the pending decision over Hearts' future and the ramifications for Dundee. "It was brilliant last time. It's A list, so I stick out like a sore thumb. You drive along on the bus to the game and you have kids running after the stars. They must look at me and think 'who is that dickhead?' I played centre-half against Drogba and Adebayor. Easy. The two Hibs lads gave me a tougher test on Saturday . . . "
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