Hibernian had to battle to remain in the Active Nation Scottish Cup at the weekend - but the club will go into the semi-final draw today, and while players and manager know that they have a massive task on their hands in Dingwall a week tomorrow their remains a firm belief that they will overcome the challenge of the first division side.

It was an Ian Murray goal-line clearance in the final minutes that ensure the side would have a chance to fight another day, that coming in the midst of a frantic scramble with Kevin McBride clearing another effort on goal while Graham Stack also managed to get his body in the way of a goal-bound effort. Ross County will know that moment was the best they had to dismiss Hibernian from the competition - although they will also know that on their own patch they perhaps have an even great chance of making the Semi-Finals for the first time in their history.

Murray has seen many similar days in a Hibernian shirt and admitted that the competition for Hibernian always seems to throw up that little bit more drama than is desired - however he admitted in his own post-match summary that while the draw has been kind this year performances could have been a whole lot better: "We have not played that well in the cup so far - we beat Irvine Meadow 3-0 but didn't play that well and on Saturday it was the same, although it would have been harsh if we had gone out. So It's not doom and gloom, we are still in the cup and we have a derby next week to move on to which is a great game and we are still riding high in the league.

" We are disappointed with the result and performance not to win at home against a lower league team but we are still in the Cup."   Ross County were certainly a handful and will likely prove to be the same on their own patch, but Murray knows also that Hibernian can play a great deal better than they did on Saturday - and they need to prove that in eight days time: "They adapted to the conditions better than us and played to their strengths and did well. They fully deserved a draw and will be delighted to be taking us back up to their play for a replay, but equally they will know they will get a hard game up there and we are still confident of progressing."

The journey that far north will be an entirely new one for Hibernian players and supporters alike - a journey for an extra game that both could certainly have done without. Murray is certainly one player in the current squad who understands the frustration of the supporters, pointing out that it is a frustration felt throughout the team: "The game finished 2-2 and it was not as though we had lost the game or lacked anything performance wise but I understand the reaction of our supporters, we are as disappointed as they are - it is an extra game for us now, a game that we could have done without because we are trying to kick on up the league."

The pressure then is certainly now very much on but at this stage of the season the fact remains Hibernian are still very much in the mix in both competitions, and there would have been no grumbling if that had been offered at the start of the campaign. All attention will now be on the Edinburgh Derby this weekend, and victory in the next two games would entirely change the mood of the Hibernian support.