David Gray reckons two decisions cost Hibs Premier Sports Cup glory.
The stand-in boss has heaped praise on his side on a day where luck deserted them.
Gray believes his side were on the wrong side of key calls from referee John Beaton both at Celtic ’s winning goal and failing to award his side a late penalty.
But the former Hibs skipper is also aware that conceding within one minute of taking the lead through Paul Hanlon was the game’s crucial moment.
He said: “I am disappointed with the two decisions that were made. There is disappointment, but I am also really proud of the players.
“The way they have handled everything in the last 10 days has been a credit to them. After the game I thanked them for all their effort and hard work. They gave myself and Eddie May absolutely everything from the moment we took over. I thought we were good in the game. I thought the boys gave me absolutely everything. I said to them before the game that as long as they give me absolutely everything and come away with no regrets they will be in a good place come the end. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get it over the line.
“The disappointing thing for us is you get a goal in the game, you go in front, and then to lose a goal so quickly is obviously a massive blow. It would have been a bit different if we could have held out for the next five or 10 minutes. The second goal from our point of view is we were not good enough defensively. The players know that.
"We will look at that moving forward. But I don’t think they should have been defending a free-kick in the first place. I don’t understand how that is a foul on the halfway line. If that is a foul on the halfway line I have no idea how it is not a penalty in the box late on. I don’t see how one can be a foul and the other one not be. I don’t get it at all.”
Gray’s short-term position as caretaker is expected to end this morning with the appointment of Shaun Maloney as boss and he admits he’s still in the dark when asked about his own future.
He said: “I don’t know. I was very grateful for the club to tell us as early as possible that we were going to be in charge today so that was no distraction for the players. They had clear heads, clear minds. They knew that nothing was going to change between the Dundee game and the cup final.
"That gave us the full four days to prepare which was really important, knowing that there will be a change moving forward. But now that the game is done we will dust ourselves down and I am sure the powers that be will let us know exactly what direction we are moving in moving forward. We will adjust accordingly.”
“I am still contracted to Hibernian Football Club. I love working for the club, it is somewhere I have been for a long time. Until I am told otherwise I am delighted to be here.
“Once the dust settles I will probably look back at it. It has been a whirlwind in the last nine or 10 days. The most important thing for me to take away from it is I am proud of the players, I am grateful for how much they have given me and Eddie. It is never easy in these situations and I think you could see the reaction last week when Jack and John lost their jobs. I am very grateful for what they have given me. We will move on and see what happens.”
