Bittersweet Emotions For Jordan Smith

Hibernian goalkeeper Jordan Smith had mixed emotions at full-time as the Hibees exited the Scottish Cup Quarter-Final with defeat at Celtic Park.

A goal at the end of each half from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah condemned the Hibees to a 2-0 defeat and brought to an end our 15-match unbeaten run.

Speaking after the match, Smith shared his immediate reaction with Hibs TV.

“We’re disappointed, we have put a lot of effort into these last few weeks and months – so for this run to come to an in this manner is very disappointing – particularly in the Scottish Cup because we know how much this competition means to the fans and the Club.

“Celtic were relentless, they turned the screw and made us pay in the end. We probably didn’t show the best version of ourselves in the first half, the Manager tried to calm us down at the break and make sure we showed more composure on the ball which I think we did, but we weren’t clinal enough in the top end of the pitch.”

Smith – who made several key saves throughout the match – reserved special praise for the 7,000-strong travelling supporters who made the trip to Celtic Park.

“It was a tough afternoon, I won’t be giving myself any pats on the back – because the saves are only great if they mean something and unfortunately we lost the game today.

“We need to quickly move on, we will analyse the game and dust ourselves down. We certainly won’t be feeling sorry for ourselves – nobody else will – so we need to quickly switch our focus to our league campaign.

“A massive thank you goes to the fans for sticking with us. They turned out in their numbers – 7,000 or so – and I could hear them all game. They drove us through the game and tried to give us that extra lift to try and get something from the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be in the end, but credit to them for staying with us and giving us that reception. They deserve everything they get at the moment.”

In the lead-up to the match, Smith committed his future to the Club – signing a two-year extension until summer 2028.  

“I am delighted to get that contract over the line,” Smith continued.

“I know that is the biggest cliché in the world, but it is a bit of security and a thank you for some of the work that I’ve done so far.

“I am extremely thankful to the Club for that. Now it’s sorted, as far as I’m concerned it is all about the team game and making sure we concentrate on our future performance and getting back to winning games of football as quickly as possible.”