Interview: James McPake, Hibernian defender By MOIRA GORDON Published on Sunday 1 April 2012 01:46 IT ALL came down to the final day in the 2004-5 season and, with just seven games left of the current league campaign, Hibs captain James McPake doesn't want to get embroiled in another do-or-die finale. When the dust settled on that season's relegation dogfight, the young defender was among the survivors but it was all too close for comfort. In and out of the Livingston team that season, he wasn't on the pitch that afternoon as Livi played host to Dundee. But he felt like he kicked every ball. We needed a point and Dundee needed to win. We played each other, they went in the lead and we equalised and it was brilliant. But then go 12 months down the line and it was the opposite, with us being relegated and, from being on such a high, everyone was down. That drop to the First Division serves as more than adequate warning but McPake prefers to focus on the earlier escape. I was injured in the last game [of the 2004-5 season] so I was in the stand. It was terrible watching on. As well as Tam McManus [hitting the post in the dying seconds for Dundee], I remember [Fabian] Caballero had a chance that nearly went in late on, it was murder watching. It was a good day but, hopefully, we've got it sorted long before the last day of the season this time and we don't need to go through that kind of drama. Despite only arriving in January, McPake has already assumed a large slice of responsibility, not only for organising a previously haphazard defence, which still remains unsure at times. Having been made captain in Ian Murray's absence, the 27-year-old has also tried to lead by example on and off the pitch. I'm not sure what I got from it back then. I was a bit-part player," says McPake as he tries to analyse what he learned from that 2005 season. Now I'm one of the senior players at this club and it's something I have to try to help everybody else out with now. I'm looking at it in a different way. [At Livingston], we had a lot of leaders, people like Burton O'Brien, who were good players, Oscar Rubio, Manuel Dorado, you had a lot of senior professionals that had been around the block. Guys like Derek Lilley, players who were doing the job that I'm trying to do here. It was a tough time for everyone. I've been involved in situations likes this down south as well, at Coventry. Over the past couple of seasons we've not been safe until late on and it's a test of character and it's something the boys have to deal with. McPake is on loan from the Midlands side, who are among those destined for the drop from the Championship if they fail to move up the table, and McPake has one eye on how they are doing. With his own situation uncertain, the last thing he wants is his main club and loan side to succumb in the same term. "They are my parent club and I look out for their result but I look out for others too," he said. I don't want them relegated either, but I'm a Hibs player at the moment and my full focus is on playing for Hibs and getting Hibs out of this mess. Hopefully Coventry can do that as well. Despite talk of a two-way dog fight between Hibs and Dunfermline, the Easter Road manager Pat Fenlon is not as willing to give the clubs above them a free pass. But he knows Hibs probably need a victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle this afternoon if they are to suck the Highland side back into the contest. The only SPL side who have failed to beat Hibs this term, with one defeat and a draw, there is at least the belief in the Hibs ranks that they can get something from their away trip. "It's a massive game for us," admits Fenlon, who says the fans" anguish was rammed home to everyone involved in the first team when they mingled at last weekend's supporters" player of the year function. But if we can get to the split and have people looking over their shoulders, and worrying about what a couple of bad results would do to them, then that's good. Bar Motherwell, who we've still to play at home, we've got games against people who we've done quite well against. And mixed in with the nerves there is a sense of excitement. McPake is one of those channelling the tension in a positive manner, buoyed by the fact that their current lead over Dunfermline means that they still remain in control of their own destiny. Having missed last weekend's game, he has trained this week and is back in the line-up today. And I am looking forward to this game. You see the doubters and that helps. I've read some reports this week with people saying they don't know if we have the bottle. That spurs me on. That and the memories of the final-day survival at Livingston and the reality of relegation the following year.