Craig Forsyth was delighted to see former Dundee teammate Leigh Griffiths score a sensational winner against Aberdeen to fire Hibs into the Scottish Cup final.
Now he is tipping Griffiths to repeat his Hampden heroics when the Hibees face Edinburgh rivals Hearts in Scottish football’s finale at the national stadium on May 19.
The pair shared a dressing-room at Dens Park, with Forsyth setting up many a Griffiths goal. The striker has courted controversy, especially since returning north on loan from Wolves, but Forsyth knows from seeing him up close every day that he is a big-game player. And he reckons the size of the occasion will bring out the best out in the 21-year-old.
Forsyth, now playing in the English Championship with Watford, said: ”I was absolutely delighted for Sparky. He is a Hibs fan, so I know how much this will mean to him.
”He will still be buzzing, because scoring big goals is what he does best and you could tell by his reaction that it was a special moment for him.
”Now they have a fantastic chance to go one better by ending that long wait to get their hands on the cup, especially after Celtic were knocked out.
”They probably won’t get a better chance to bring the cup to Easter Road and won’t need any extra motivation with the final being against Hearts. It would be incredible for Leigh if he were to go on and win the cup, and it’s certainly there for them.”
Forsyth added: “‘I still speak to the wee man quite a lot and know that he is really enjoying himself at Hibs. This is the perfect final for anyone from Edinburgh and Leigh has been a big Hibs fan all his life. The occasion will bring out the best in him.
”He is still young only 21 but the raw potential is there. Leigh is strong, quick, and has an eye for goal. He is not the finished article yet but getting this kind of first-team experience while on loan from Wolves can only help.
”He puts in a lot of hard graft, which isn’t always noticed, and obviously he can take a chance as he proved against Aberdeen in the semi-final. He will just be looking to keep up his form between now and the final so that he goes into it with plenty of momentum.”
Dundee striker Graham Bayne is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
He has strained ligaments in his knee so is unlikely to feature again before Division One breaks up for the summer.
Boss Barry Smith said: ”Graham has strained his knee ligaments so that is him probably out for the last few games.”
Photo by Lynne Cameron/PA Wire