Outwith beloved Dumbarton, my sympathy is with fellow Leithers, of course. The taxi-driver who ferried me to a BBC Radio Scotland interview last week is a Hibee, as are many of my neighbours. Following Scottish football from England in my youth, I remember well the Pat Stanton era, the 1973/4 UEFA Cup matches against Leeds United (I have the first-leg programme), and more from Hibs' glorious past.
That said, I'm also an underdog backer, and the Honest Men now have midfielder Andy Geggan, a former Son who gave great service at Dumbarton, with 145 appearances and 9 goals between 2006 and 2011. So I'd have had reason to cheer this one going either way, frankly.
As it turned out, it wasn't Geggsy's day. His bundling over of Isaiah Osbourne at a Hibs corner gave the visitors a penalty, which Wolves loanee Leigh Griffiths put away for his home town club with aplomb. It was a tough call for Geggan, but a fair one.
Andy might have had something at the other end, too. On 55 minutes Ayr's Micheal McGowan sent in a good cross, Geggan fired, but Hibs' Graham Stack made an effective save.
So it was not to be for the First Division side. The Leithers went through 2-0, the other goal coming on 6 minutes from Roy O'Donovan. I'm backing them for the Scottish Cup this year, Celtic notwithstanding.
