Raith Rovers manager Ian Murray knows cup finals don’t come around often.
As a 19-year-old at Hibernian, he was unexpectedly selected for the 2001 Scottish Cup Final versus Celtic.
He was “delirious” when Hibs manager Alex McLeish told him he would start at Hampden, but had to keep a lid on it when roommate Tam McManus failed to even make the squad, despite justifying it with his performances.
Celtic won 3-0 that day, but Murray could have been forgiven for thinking another final would come along soon – especially after a move to Rangers, again under McLeish.
But injury robbed him of properly getting started at Ibrox and did so again for the 2012 Scottish Cup final after a return to Easter Road towards the end of his playing days.
No regrets
“I don’t have regrets,” said Murray. “We had a good Hibs side but we were playing against a really good Celtic side.
“As good as we were, we couldn’t handle them, not a lot of teams could at that stage of the season.
“But being 19 and playing in your first Scottish Cup final, you think your next one will be three or four years away.
“And then it doesn’t come. You think it will come eventually and it doesn’t.
“I was injured for the 2012 final with Hearts, we missed out in a couple of semi-finals which we should have won, the Dundee United one in particular where we were 1-0 up.
“So you have to grab opportunities when they come.”
Rovers‘ preparations for Sunday’s final could hardly have gone any better after a 6-1 defeat of Cove Rangers.
🧵 Let’s have a look at yesterday’s goals then…
1️⃣ Sitting on the last defender’s shoulder, Isma waited for the moment. His high press saw him capitalise on the short kick, using his strength and hunger to create the space he needed to perform the cheeky dink😍 pic.twitter.com/0qqpDioNj9
— Raith Rovers Football Club (@RaithRovers) March 19, 2023
But he knows performances of that quality mean some players who have been involved of late will be disappointed when the team is announced.
‘Devastated’ teammate
“It’s very, very difficult because we’ve got players coming back from injury (for the final) but a team that won 6-1 on Saturday,” said the Rovers boss.
“I said to the players before the [Cove] game, ‘you guys are in pole position, don’t lose the jersey’.
“I remember for the 2001 final I was sharing a room with Tam McManus. He was the 19th man that day.
“He had a great season that season. He had scored in the quarter-final in the last minute against Kilmarnock, he had played a part in the semi-final.
“He was devastated and rightly so because it’s a horrible moment. It was horrible for me rooming with him.
“He only found out on the Saturday morning and I’m delirious because I’m playing and I’ve got to try to temper that and console a team-mate.
“If you make a decision you think is right deep down and it doesn’t work, then you have no regrets – and if it does work then you have no regrets.
“But you have to make tough calls.”
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