Final Birthday Wish
Tam hopes to celebrate 23rd in style!

TAM MCMANUS IS HOPING TO CELEBRATE HIS 23rd BIRTHDAY TODAY in a bit of style, by helping Hibs to three points against Aberdeen and taking a giant step towards ensuring his own participation in the CIS Cup Final at Hampden next month!  The striker looks set to start against the Dons this afternoon, a rare enough treat for McManus of late but one he is determined will not be wasted.  Hibs boss Bobby Williamson it would appear will have his work cut out selecting a team for this game - another rarity!  Returning to the squad that went down at Ibrox last weekend will be Colin Murdock and Gary Smith, providing the manager with a problem on who to play in his back four.

For McManus and everyone else in the squad it is an opportunity to impress the Hibs boss and claim a slot in the Hampden line-up.  McManus knows that the players in possession of the shirts today are the ones who can clinch a place in the cup final - if they do well against Aberdeen. The birthday boy said: "It is important to make an impact in this game, it’s our last before the CIS Final and whoever starts the game today has a big advantage. You know that if you play well today then chances are you are going to be in the side for the final, so this is a big game for us and one that we are all wanting to do well in."  The last time Hibs played in a national cup final was heartache for McManus, who was surprisingly left out of the squad by then boss Alex McLeish.  McManus then took particular pleasure in scoring from the spot during the recent penalty shoot-out at Hampden to ensure misery for his former boss as he helped Hibs on the way to the final this time around, but McManus knows that only his very best will ensure that he is on the pitch and not the stands this time around as well.

McManus - looking to stake his claim for a place in the CIS Final  (sns)

Bobby Williamson is not convinced that his players should feel any more motivated for the SPL clash today than they would normally be.  He said: " I’ve been asked whether being in a Cup Final makes it easier to motivate the players but in truth there shouldn’t really be a problem with players being motivated for any game, as they should have the desire to do well for themselves and their team mates.  But the players are only human and sometimes motivational factors do come into it. Tomorrow is our last game before the Final although to be honest I would have preferred a League match next weekend. I’ve not arranged any games for them but we’ll see how things go."

While Hibs don't have any games in the two weeks to the final, there are a couple of Under-21 clashes that will allow the manager to assess the fitness of players such as Ian Murray, Stephen Glass and Yannick Zambernardi, it does not look though that any of that trio are likely to be considered for places in the Hampden line-up.  While thoughts are naturally drifting towards the cup final, the fact remains that Hibs have a difficult immediate task to achieve - three points against an Aberdeen side who are lodged in the SPL second bottom slot, but whom Hibs have failed to win against in two previous encounters this season.  Hibs home form is nothing much to shout about either, but the hope is that a bumper Easter Road crowd will turn out to give the side every encouragement in this final test before that final date at Hampden, where by all accounts around 30,000 Hibs fans will gather with business at the Easter Road ticket office once again reported to be 'brisk' all day yesterday.

Aberdeen meanwhile are still hurting from their midweek defeat at Motherwell, and one that brought scathing comments from their own manager.  All in all it points to an interesting game with the winners in a much stronger position to challenge for a top six slot, and the losers perhaps drifting a little further from that goal than is now comfortable as March approaches.  The mood will be good though at Easter Road and nothing it seems can spoil that, I don't expect Aberdeen will put much of a dent in the current party atmosphere, and expect Hibs to run out comfortable winners with McManus laying his claim on a place in the Hampden side perhaps at the cost of Alan Reid.

We hear that Hibs will feature on the BBC's 'Sportscene' programme today, with a trio of Easter Road youngsters chatting about their progress at Easter Road this season.  Look out for them from