Grant Scott aiming to utilise Hibs’ form against ‘dangerous’ Partick side in semi-finals

The capital side will travel to Petershill Park on the weekend knowing that a win will see them face off against Celtic or Rangers at Tynecastle in March. Hibs have done extremely well to get this far as they overcame both Aberdeen and Dundee United to reach this stage with 6-2 and 7-0 victories. This form has continued in the SWPL1 as well with Scott overseeing seven wins in their last eight league games. 

However, they face a Partick side that has been equally impressive in the first half of the season. The Glaswegians beat Spartans 2-0 before knocking out Montrose with a 2-1 victory to reach this stage. In the league, they are only two points behind fourth-place Hibs as they look to consolidate their position in the top six. 

The last time the two sides met also resulted in a victory for Partick in a shock result. Brian Graham’s side managed to pull out a 2-0 win at Meadowbank back in October despite the host's many chances. Now, with the semi-final looming, Scott hopes that the form his side is carrying will see them through into the final. 

“As much as you try and not be too diplomatic all of the time, [Partick] are not getting the credit they deserve,” Scott explained. “When you come in as the opposing team, there is no doubt that the home pitch helps them; they are dogged in their play. They have some really good players in their squad now and credit to Brian [Graham]. Bit by bit, year by year, almost half season after half season he has picked up and recruited a few players here and there. 

“They are a force to be reckoned with. I don’t get some of the chat about them, there is more about them and people are doing them a real disservice when they describe them as that. They have got that in them but they are a really good football team as well. 

“The form and the number of goals [Hibs are scoring] is there as evidence to back it up. We didn’t have a problem scoring leading into the Partick result or the game following it. It was just one of those days for us where I felt we could have played all day long and not scored. We had a lot of missed opportunities, some poor from us, some good defending and some great goalkeeping from them. I’m not overthinking it too much, if we had the same amount of opportunities again, we would win the next match whoever it was against. We are not overthinking that at all, the team is in good form and scoring goals and hopefully that continues on the weekend.”

While Hibs certainly ended 2023 on a high, the club has shown no signs of slowing down in the new year. A 10-0 victory over St. Johnstone in the Scottish Cup was soon followed by a 4-0 win over Hamilton in the SWPL1. The results have almost been robotic from the side as the victories they have been overseeing have almost always been convincing. 

Notley, has been one of Hibs’ most in-form players throughout this run. The midfielder has always been highly impressive for the capital side but, more recently, she has started adding goals to her performances. So far this season, Notley has already netted five times including three in her last two games. However, with such a run of form, the 23-year-old also believes there is pressure to maintain it. 

“I have helped the team secure the three points and that is the most important thing,” Notley stated. “I have played a slightly different role a bit higher up the pitch than where I normally play. That has allowed me to get into these positions to score. I wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for my teammates putting the ball into the box. It is just about helping the team, getting the three points and progressing into the next round. 

“We are a team that is striving to win every single week and put on performances that hopefully, other teams are wary of and looking out for. We put pressure on ourselves from within to maintain the high standards that we have and put out the performances that we want to achieve. 

“Also, there is pressure from outside because people expect you to go out into some games and win easily, score lots of goals and keep clean sheets. We have seen with results recently, that that isn’t always going to happen. We just need to respect our opponent and ensure that we are fully prepared.”

Kick-off for the tie is at 16:10 on January 21. If Hibs are to progress into the final, it will be played at Tynecastle on March 23. The other semi-final between the Old Firm sides will take place on January 19.