HIBS star Andy McNeil insisted today there's no chance of his side taking Queen of the South lightly this weekend after being given the fright of their lives by St Johnstone in the CIS Cup.
The Easter Road outfit are overwhelming favourites to book a place in the last four of the Tennent's Scottish Cup when they travel to Palmerston Park on Saturday.
However, having already met and struggled against lower league opposition on their
way to the final of the League Cup, McNeil insisted complacency won't creep into their play.
When the Hibees played the Saints at Tynecastle at the end of last month, Owen Coyle's men more than held their own and took the game into extra-time after drawing 1-1 after 90 minutes.
A terrible blunder by St Johnstone goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert then gifted Hibs a goal before a late Abdessalam Benjelloun strike put some gloss on the display and sealed a 3-1 victory which propelled them through to the final.
And McNeil believes that clash will be at the forefront of the players' mind when they travel south to face Ian McCall's side.
"We are under a bit of pressure as we are in a higher league, and at the top end of that league as well, so we'll be expected to win on Saturday," said Scotland Under-21 cap McNeil.
"We started very brightly against St Johnstone and initially we destroyed them to be fair. But we took our foot off the gas and they came back into the game and started to knock the ball about well.
"They harassed us and from then on the game was probably 50/50, it could easily have gone either way.
"We have to learn from that and can't allow that to happen again. If we have a blistering start we can't afford to fade away like we did in that match.
"If we'd got a second goal in that game it would probably have been all over and that's what we need to bear in mind this time.
"Anything can happen in a cup game and they've done really well to get this far. They had a good result at the weekend but we should have enough quality to progress if we play the way we are capable of.
"It doesn't matter who you are playing - the same formula applies. You still have to pass the ball, take your chances when they come along and defend well.
"The gaffer likes us to play a certain way and although tactics and personnel vary from game to game the overall idea is the same." McNeil was forced to sit out Sunday's visit to Tannadice to face Dundee United with a hip injury picked up last week although he was due to return to full training today.
Simon Brown took charge between the sticks in his absence but McNeil is hoping to get the nod to get his place back for the game against Queen of the South.
"It was frustrating to be out injured particularly because I haven't actually played that many games having only recently come into the team," he said.
"I want to play in every game and they are all important but these things happen in football. It was just an unfortunate collision in training but hopefully I'll be back this weekend.
"I haven't spoken to the gaffer about whether I'll come back into the side but hopefully I've done enough in previous games to be put back in there."
Standing in the opposite goal is likely to be on-loan Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who McNeil shared a room with while on Scotland Under-21 against Germany recently.
The duo easily became friends and McNeil admitted that their conversations quickly turned to their meeting in the Scottish Cup. "It was a few weeks ago that we were away and at that stage the game was still a wee while away but there was a bit of banter," he said.
"I also saw him two weekend's ago at our pre-match hotel before the Celtic game as Queen of the South were using it before their game as well and we had a quick chat then too.
"He's a good lad and I get on really well with him. He's a good goalkeeper and it'll be nice to play against him and then catch up with him after the game.
"Obviously this time I want him to be on the losing side but that'll all be forgotten about once the full-time whistle goes."
The full article contains 771 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
