Hibs hope to avoid Ayr-raising moments

Revealing even his boss Colin Calderwood has joked that the match has been chosen by Sky Sports to turn up the heat on an Easter Road side already under pressure as they languish at the wrong end of the SPL table, Wotherspoon insisted he and his team-mates are more than ready to disappoint those hoping for an upset.

Wotherspoon, who turns 21 tomorrow, said: "Of course, everyone seems to be on the side of the underdog, people will be looking for another Cup shock. But it is up to us to show the whole country what we can do, that we can handle the situation and get ourselves through to the next round.

"I'm sure one of the reasons the game has been chosen by television is because of the feeling there might be an upset but I think it will simply act as added motivation for us to go out with a positive attitude and take care of business." Few would argue Ayr earned their right to a replay given their performance at Easter Road last Saturday although the home fans predictably gave vent to their unhappiness on the final whistle.

Wotherspoon said: "It was a real disappointment for all of us, we didn't play very well and created few chances."

However, he argued, the stalemate was the classic result of the so-called "smaller" team raising their game while the favourites barely got into their stride throughout the entire 90 minutes.

Consequently, Wotherspoon argued, it will be up to Hibs to sustain a high tempo from first minute to last against the part-timers, something they failed to achieve in the original tie.

He said: "We had Darryl Duffy and Merouane Zemmama just back from injury and we simply didn't get into a rhythm, we didn't get our game going and we struggled."

Although, ultimately, Hibs had the fingertips Mark Brown's left hand to thank for giving them a second bite at the cherry, the goalkeeper throwing himself across goal to push Ayr substitute Andy Rodgers' last-minute shot wide, Wotherspoon insisted Calderwood's team had chances of their own to have won at the first time of asking.

However, he acknowledged the first goal on Tuesday night could prove crucial, Ayr having lost just once at home this season and now boasting a record of nine games without defeat at Somerset Park.

He said: "I think if we'd got the first goal last week we'd have gone on to win the game quite securely, Unfortunately we were unable to get the breakthrough. On Tuesday night we have to start at a high tempo and maintain that throughout the match.

"We work hard in training every day so, I'd imagine, we'll be that bit fitter so we need to work them as hard as we can and make that advantage count."

While Calderwood, as one would expect, had prepared his team for Ayr's visit and will no doubt have them equally well-versed as to their opponents' strengths and weaknesses, Wotherspoon has gained an added insight via his flat-mate Scott Taggart, the 18-year-old Hibs midfielder who spent the first half of the season with United before returning to Edinburgh.

Wotherspoon said: "We'd had a look at video clips of them, a look at their set-up and so on but Scott has also been able to tell me other wee bits and pieces. I've never played at Somerset Park before but Scott has assured me it will be a tough place to go with Ayr enjoying a good record there."

If the Cup was viewed as offering Hibs some respite from the unrelenting pressure of trying to haul themselves away from the nether regions of the SPL table, that hasn't proved to be the case, the current situation in stark contrast to Wotherspoon's introduction to top flight football.

Having been part of Hibs all-conquering Under-19 side which swept to an unprecedented League and Cup double, Wotherspoon was pitched straight into SPL action by former boss John Hughes, scoring on his debut as the Easter Road outfit began an impressive run of results which had them tipped to challenge the Old Firm. It's hard to believe just how quickly Hibs have sunk in the intervening period but, Wotherspoon insisted, the current trials and tribulations will undoubtedly see him emerge as a stronger and more worldly-wise player.

He said: "I don't think things have turned on their head as such for me. Everything was going up but now it has levelled off a bit for the time being. I've been pushed out the team a bit recently with boys coming back from injury so it is a case of working away and trying to get myself back in. The way things have gone recently will also help make me stronger mentally. There is that side to the game, you have to push yourself through it and that's what all the boys are doing, sticking together and encouraging each other."