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Scottish Cup final: St Johnstone v Hibernian

St Johnstone's Glenn Middleton scored the only goal the last time the sides met
Scottish Cup final: St Johnstone v Hibernian
Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Saturday, 22 May Kick-off: 14:00 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC One Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland and text commentary on the BBC Sport website & app.

Hibernian and St Johnstone head to Hampden Park on Saturday for the Scottish Cup final determined to improve on already successful seasons.

Callum Davidson's Perth Saints lifted the League Cup in February and finished fifth in the Scottish Premiership in his first season as manager.

Jack Ross' Leith outfit ended the top-flight campaign two places higher.

The winners will upgrade their place in next season's new Europa Conference League to the Europa League qualifiers.

St Johnstone's preparations have been hit by positive Covid-19 tests and no fans will be at Hampden to witness the end-of-season spectacle after permission for 600 supporters was withdrawn because of Glasgow reverting back to level three of the Scottish government's lockdown route map.

However, the match can be viewed live on BBC One Scotland and the BBC Sport website, with live commentary on BBC Radio Scotland and all coverage starting at 13:00 BST.

Should St Johnstone win, they will become only the fourth side - and second outside Celtic and Rangers - to win both domestic cup competitions in the same season.

It also would be the fifth season in a row that both have been won by the same side after Celtic's sequence of four domestic trebles - and the first outside of the Old Firm since Aberdeen in 1990.

St Johnstone have a 100% Scottish Cup final record, having won it in their only appearance in 2014.

Hibs, who finished third in the top flight for the first time since 2005, are looking for their fourth triumph and first since 2016.

Team news

Scottish Cup win would cap unbelievable season - St Johnstone's David Wotherspoon

Eight St Johnstone players had been forced to self-isolate in recent weeks and five returned to training on Wednesday.

However, manager Callum Davidson did not expect to know until Friday who would be available, with his selection determined by the latest test results due on Thursday and players' level of match-sharpness.

He pointed out that, since their 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road in the league on 1 May, they had only been able to have "one or two proper training sessions".

In contrast, Ross was able to rest a clutch of regular starters for the last game of the Premiership season at home to Celtic on Saturday, when they drew 0-0 with the runners-up and deposed champions.

The head coach revealed that, faced with no fresh injury concerns, he had been able to inform the players early about his cup final team selection.

What they said

Hibernian head coach Jack Ross: "Irrespective of whether this is a group who split or stay together, they have worked incredibly hard to put themselves in this position. They have been very good over the course of the season. I don't think they want to let this opportunity slip by.

"I understand that, if we are successful on Saturday, it will absolutely be recognised as an outstanding season for the club. The players have shown huge consistency in their approach to want to achieve success."

St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "It's going to be a difficult team selection. It's not ideal. It's going to take a monumental effort from everybody involved to go and get a result on Saturday. We have nothing to lose really, probably nobody really expects us to win.

"We've already won a cup and finished fifth, so probably achieved the highest possible goal we could have this season. If we add another cup to that, it would just be extraordinary."

Match statistics

The Road to Hampden

Euro 2020: Hibernian striker Christian Doidge plays down Wales selection chance

Both sides have won two away games and one at home to reach the final, with each surviving penalty kick shootouts in the quarter-finals and beating two top-flight and two lower league opponents on their way to Hampden.

Hibs striker Christian Doidge has scored in every round so far and is level with Kilmarnock's Kyle Lafferty as the competition's top scorer this season with seven apiece, while St Johnstone forward Chris Kane is looking to score in a third consecutive round.

Hibernian

Third round: Queen of the South 1-3 Hibernian (Doidge 2, Boyle)

Fourth round: Stranraer 0-4 Hibernian (Boyle 2, Doidge, Nisbet)

Quarter-final: Hibernian 2-2 Motherwell (4-2pens - Doidge, Jackson)

Semi-final: Dundee United 0-2 Hibernian (Nisbet, Doidge)

St Johnstone

Third Round: Dundee 0-1 St Johnstone (Melamed)

Fourth Round: St Johnstone 2-0 Clyde (Melamed, O'Halloran)

Quarter-final: Rangers 1-1 St Johnstone (2-4pens - Kane)

Semi-final: St Mirren 1-2 St Johnstone (Kane, Middleton)