Grant: 'Delighted' & Embracing New Role
Player of the Match Ciara Grant was understandably "delighted" to score twice as the Hibees secured their place in the Sky Sports Cup Final.
The midfielder popped up at the back post twice, to net our first and third goals of the evening, as Hibs saw off Aberdeen with a 3-0 victory at Meadowbank Stadium.
"I'm just delighted," Grant told Hibs TV.
"This club has been to many cup finals, and won many, in the past. Just to get over the line today was just great.
Reaching the Final was not an straightforward task, however. Despite putting 14 past Aberdeen in two league meetings this season, it is clear for all to see that the Reds have improved since our last clash.
"It was a tough first half," Grant admitted.
"They’ve made some new signings, Scott Booth has came in and got them well-organised, so they were hard to break down. We came out in the second half much more calm and we executed our game plan.
"We have a good bit of experience in the team now in the squad. Everyone, even the young players, have learned a lot from last year and you can see that on the pitch."
"It was just about staying calm and sticking to the game plan. We know we have been playing some really good football recently, so we know we had it in us to beat them and that is what we did in the end.
The professional performance sets up a Sky Sports Cup Final meeting with Rangers on Saturday 22 March - a repeat of Hibs' last final outing in 2022, in which the Gers lifted the trophy.
"It’s great. Our track record versus [Rangers] this season has been quite good," said Grant.
"We go in with confidence like we do with every game now."
Before we start looking ahead too far to the Final, next week sees league leaders Glasgow City visit Meadowbank. A home win would see Hibs cut the gap down to just two points heading into February.
Grant is excited by the prospect of giving the Petershill Park outfit a game, especially after a disappointing trip to Springburn earlier in the season.
"I think it has been a tough week with three games. No matter the scores, it is tough on our bodies, so we will recover for the next few days and enjoy the win before focusing on City.
"Last time we played them we did not do ourselves justice.
"We will be going in with a much better mindset to really have a go at them."