Niall McGinn

“It was a very very strange start.

“I don't think any of our forward players touched the ball and we were 3-0 down. It's just something we have to learn from, we know if we make mistakes or defend how we did in those first 10 minutes we know we're going to be punished against a very good side.

“It is something we are going to have to get out of our game. We did the same against Rangers as well when we lost three goals very quickly. We have to get back to basics and back to defending well as a team.

“Once Jonny got the goal I thought we were probably more creative and created a lot of chances, we were probably the better side over the rest of the 80 minutes, but we know if we start games like that we're going to get punished.

“We have to learn from that.

“I think it's always a good sign when you go off at half time and the fans are applauding you and when you come out for the second half, despite the scoreline. At the end they were brilliant.  

“They appreciated that the effort was there.

“Had we got a goal at the start of the second half it would have made for an exciting finish. I thought we should have had a penalty because from my view Shinnie has touch and then Gordon has made contact with Graeme. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.

“We had other chances to get ourselves back into the game. On another day we will take those chances.

“We know it's always going to be difficult once you go 3-0 down against a good side. We've just got to learn from that.

“We've two games now before the cup final, if we learn from what happened tonight, plus take encouragement from the next couple of games and just keep improving as we have been doing over the course of the season, we can still go into the cup final with confidence.

“We know on our day if we turn up, defend well, take our chances when they come along, we're more than a match for anyone. I think you obviously need a bit of luck along the way as well.

“We've done great to get to the final and it's obviously going to be a wonderful occasion. We just don't want to be there making up the numbers. If you we put in a performance like we did after the first 10 minutes then we know we're more than a match for them.

“We gave them a little taste of what we are about and we look forward to the cup final when it comes around, but we have to just put it on the back burner now and just concentrate on the next two league games. There is work to be done.

“We have two very tough away games coming up.

“We play Rangers on Wednesday then Partick Thistle on the Sunday who have done very well this season.

“Earlier in the season at Ibrox I thought we had chances to win the game but we did not take them. It is these competitive games you want to play in. It will be a good occasion and another very tough game. Games like that will stand us in good stead for the final.

“The manager will maybe use the games to test a few things ahead of the final. Jonny is suspended for Wednesday night and he will be a bit miss.

“We need to go to Ibrox and put on a display. We need to keep moving forward. We need to keep the season going and finish on a high.

“We know on our day we will create chances, it is just about taking them. But we have to defend better than we did in those first ten minutes.  

“It has been a very long season and a lot of football played so any extra break over the summer would be very welcome for the boys. An extra two weeks (the difference between going into the Europa League at Round 2 instead of Round 1) would be a big deal.

“For myself, after the cup final I am away with Northern Ireland and don’t finish I think till the 11th of June. I am used to it. For the boys it has been a long campaign and everyone has had to manage their time off.

“Over the last three years we also seem to have just been stopped from going into the second round, for example when Motherwell scored with the last kick of the game then another year Celtic were beaten in the Scottish Cup by Inverness.

“None of the players have ever complained about it. Everyone just gets on with it and it shows in the performances with how consistent we have been over the last couple of years. Everyone want to progress next season in the Europa League. To be seeded in the second round would obviously help the team as well.  

“As for my own future, we will see what happens in the next month or so. I will keep working hard. I really appreciate the reaction of the fans when I came off. I can’t thank them enough for that.”