Ryan Jack

“I thought in the first half we were excellent. The game plan was spot on. We were pressing them in midfield, we were pressing them well up top and we were creating chances. We also were keeping good retention of the ball.

“What we had worked on all week in training was being implemented in the game.

“We are going to look back and look at the goals we conceded, I thought they were two poor goals to lose. Week in, week out, we don’t normally lose goals like that.

“In that sense, it is frustrating afternoon but at the end of the day it is a cup game, it is a one off and we are through to a final. That is all that matters and we are delighted.

“We had watched their kick off on the video and we knew John McGinn would try and go forward. As soon as they took kick off you saw myself, Rooney and Shinnie going straight in. We won the break of the ball before they give it away and Rooney then does what he does best, he puts the ball in the net.

“As I say it was all going to plan, it was going exactly the way we envisaged. But in the second half Hibs put us under a lot of pressure, they were maybe even the better side but we held on and we are through to a cup final in late May.

“You do anything you can to try and win a game like this and there are different ways of doing it. It was great that Jonny had the belief to go and take the attempt on. It takes a big deflection and from a Hibs point of view they will be feeling that it was hard luck but we are delighted with the goal.

“We now have a cup final to look forward to but we can put that in the back of our minds for now.

“We have got to go and cement second spot.

“There is no better way of taking a big step towards doing that than by beating St Johnstone in front of our own fans on Saturday.

“In previous seasons when we have not got to the Scottish Cup final but have claimed second spot, we have maybe not finished the campaign the way we should have done. We have not performed in the post-split fixtures.

“I think you saw from the first half performance today there will be no letting up from us this season and we need to produce more performance like that. It will be all hands to the pump and everyone in the squad will have to do their bit over the coming weeks.

“We move onto St Johnstone on Saturday and then after that we will have lot of big games between now and the end of the season. There is a lot to look forward to.

“When I did the press during the week I said there was no embarrassment, when I got handed the captains armband, imagining the holding the cup aloft on the 27th of May. I want to be standing there holding a cup. We did not get the chance to do that in the League Cup final, it was a disappointing day, but we have another chance and it will be a chance we will try and grab with both hands.

For now thought, we concentrate on St Johnstone on Saturday.”

For now thought, we concentrate on St Johnstone on Saturday.”