Jack Baird put in a great performance in today’s IRN-BRU Cup win against Hibs at Easter Road and the defender is delighted for both the team and caretaker manager Allan McManus.
“Brilliant. We were obviously the underdogs coming into the game and considering their position in the league and ours, it was brilliant to get that result at the end. We did deserve it although I thought it was going to extra-time but happy we got the winner.
“Allan has been brilliant since taking over the last few weeks and we deserved a result under him and we eventually got one. He deserved it and we deserved it as a team after the hard work we have put in the last couple of weeks.”
Jack was delighted to go to Easter Road and knock out one of the tournament favourites and is hoping to keep progressing in the cup.
“It’s brilliant to go through to the next round of a cup, cup games are always different it is always good to go through, you can’t beat a good cup run.
“I thought I played well. I was just trying to do my best to keep the ball out of the net, that is the job I’ve got to do. Then hopefully somebody like Stevie Mallan and Clarky at the end score the goals for us.”
The winning goal created a lot of debate but Jack reckons it was the right decision for it to stand and he was thankful for the cushion of a goal in a frantic end to the match.
“I was just hoping that Shanks hadn’t touched it as he was the one that was offside, we were hoping he hadn’t touched it and he let the ball roll in. I was delighted obviously when we were given the goal but I knew he hadn’t touched it and that we would be alright.
“You’re looking up at the time quite a lot making sure you are getting through to the end of the ninety minutes and keeping the ball out of the net once you are two-one up. It is difficult and it takes a lot of mental strength but I knew we could grind it out. We did well last week grinding out a decent result at home and I think we did the same today.”
Jack is hoping that today’s win will give the side something to build on under the new management team.
“We’ll obviously be high in confidence coming in on Monday after that result there and with the new manager he’ll give us a lift as well and everything should take off from here I hope.”
