Former Ross County player Brian Irvine reckons the League Cup final is too close to call.
Alan Stubbs’ Hibernian may play in the Championship but they have already beaten four top-flight sides – Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts and St Johnstone – in cup competitions this season.
Irvine, who spent four years at the Dingwall club from 1999 to 2003, cannot pick a favourite and said: “This is going to be one of the biggest days in the history of Ross County.
“They have now defeated Celtic twice at Hampden in semi-finals.
“It was a great day out at the 2010 Scottish Cup final but, unfortunately, Dundee United got the win. I really hope County can go one step further this time but it is definitely not an easy game to call and it could go either way.
“Hibernian have risen to the challenge whenever they have played Premiership teams this season, but County have also been playing some great football. Both teams will fancy their chances.”
The Hibernian supporters will outnumber the County faithful at Hampden but Irvine does not believe that will have too much impact on the eventual outcome.
He said: “Yes, Hibernian will be backed by a huge support but, ultimately, it will be down to how the players perform.
“The County support was outnumbered in the semi-final against Celtic, but they managed to win that one.
“The club is used to the role of the underdogs so it may motivate the players.”
No matter how Sunday’s final finishes, Irvine believes manager Jim McIntyre and his assistant Billy Dodds deserve a huge amount of credit for the manner in which they have transformed the club’s fortunes in such a short space of time.
He said: “Jim and Billy have done a great job. They came in at a difficult time with the club bottom of the league, but managed to guide County to safety with a league game to spare at the end of last season.
“They have built on that this season.
“They deserve a lot of credit as they have assembled a talented squad and County look well capable of finishing in the top six and reaching a League Cup final is another great achievement.
“They are getting success on all fronts. It really couldn’t have been a better season for Ross County so far. I’m sure every supporter would have gladly accepted this situation at the start of the season.”
These are changed days from when Irvine was gracing Victoria Park.
The defender helped the club win promotion from the Second Division in his first season with the Staggies before consolidating the club’s position in the First Division, which was then Scotland’s second tier.
Irvine added: “I like to think of that period as being part of the relay race to the top flight and we did our job before passing on the baton.
“At the time we were trying to get out of the Second Division and then cementing our position in the First Division.
“There was a blip after I retired when they fell down from the First to the Second Division for a season, but apart from that it has been steady improvement over the years.
“They are an established top-flight team now and winning a major trophy would be the next step.”