Hibs aiming to lift SWPL Cup and get themselves 'back where they belong'

Hibernian are aiming to “get themselves back where they belong” and back winning silverware again when they take on Rangers in the League Cup final this weekend.

The in-form Edinburgh side are currently top of the SWPL, two points ahead of Saturday’s opponents, and have a potential treble in their sights.

They are also fresh off back-to-back wins over Celtic and Glasgow City and haven’t lost a game since September.

Rangers were defeated 3-0 in the last meeting between the sides in December as Hibs put themselves very much in contention for a successful season.

It was something that seemed unlikely at the start of the season, such was the domination of the three Glasgow sides in previous years.

However, despite their recent winning run, manager Grant Scott believes they will need to up their performance levels to defeat Jo Potter’s side to the season’s first piece of silverware.

The Hibs boss said: “We are looking forward to the game, our ambition as a group is to get to these stages of competitions and we have done it this time so one more push and we will hopefully be winners.

“Personally I think we could (win it), our performances have dropped in a couple of games despite the fact we have been winning. That is a good habit to be in, but I think come cup final day we will have to perform better than we have in the last two or three games.

“That’s me being a little bit over critical, I think when you are winning it can be difficult to look for too much more, but we are up against a very tough opponent so everything will need to be raised a little bit for this game.

“Rangers are a team stacked with quality, they are very dangerous in front of goal, they score a lot of goals and don’t concede too many. They are strong physically and strong tactically so it will be a very tough match.

“We have proven to ourselves, repeatedly now, that we can compete with the top teams in the country and I think we are now one of the top sides.

“Winning this tournament would give us a stamp of approval that we are achieving what we set out to do and puts Hibs women back to where they were and where they should be.”

Kirsten Reilly, who will lead Hibs out at Fir Park on Saturday, said: “It would be absolutely massive (to lift the trophy), at the start of the season we probably couldn’t have dreamt of being in the position we are right now.

“The group of girls at Hibs are great, we really support each other and we play for each other and play for the badge, so to win another trophy here would be amazing.”