THE feeling of watching your team smash a 114-year hoodoo to lift the Scottish Cup is unlikely to be surpassed by many Hibs fans.

But Hibs’ 3-1 win over Ayr United on Saturday to reach the semi-finals of the competition is likely to live even longer in the memory for Connaire Wallace and Lisa McLarty.

With the Easter Road side 2-1 up at half-time, Connaire, of Cockenzie, got down on one knee and asked Lisa to become his wife.

And, with more than 13,500 people watching, Lisa, of Haddington, said yes.

The couple told the Courier they were yet to come down off cloud nine after a memorable weekend.

Connaire, 24, said: “It was just one of those games where I was not too fussed with the scoreline on the day because it was a big day for us as a couple, but I did not want to be losing at half-time and get a terrible reception.

“We got to half-time and they did the competitions on the pitch and then Barrie Wilkins, the stadium announcer, said: “We have got a special announcement. Could Lisa McLarty in Row R, seat 100, stand up and look at the scoreboard?’ “At this point, Lisa still did not know what was going on because they do half-time draws and she thought she had won a signed ball or strip.

“There was a bit of a panic as the stadium announcer apologised, as the scoreboard had crashed.

“I had a speech planned in my head and I panicked because there were about 40 seconds between him finishing speaking and the scoreboard updating to say: ‘Lisa McLarty, you are my one true love. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife? All my love, Connaire.’ “One of the funnier moments to it was when the message was going across the board, the Ayr fans were chanting: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing.’ “It was done in good jest and she read the message and then one of my friends shouted for her to turn round and I was down on one knee.”

No date has yet been set for the wedding, with the couple, who live on Cockenzie’s Hawthorn Terrace, busy organising an engagement party.

Lisa, 23, originally from Haddington, and Connaire met at a party about seven years ago through some mutual friends.

Connaire, who has been a season ticket holder at the Edinburgh club for more than a decade, said they had texted each other through the night and been together ever since, with Lisa joining her fiancé at Hibs games about five years ago.

Lisa, who works as a mental health support worker and is studying forensic psychiatric nursing at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “I’m still pretty much up on cloud nine with him.

“It has not quite sunk in yet – it has been a very, very bizarre weekend but one of the best weekends, it has just flown by.

“I just thought it was like any other Saturday and had absolutely no idea.”

The location of the proposal came about by chance, after Connaire bumped into some members of staff from the Championship side. Connaire, who works as a bank manager in Edinburgh, said: “I’ve been planning it for the last three or four months. I was not quite sure how I was going to do it and ran through a few ideas in my head. It just so happens I was originally planning to do it in Rome when we go there next week.

“I was on a night out six weeks ago and I run a big Hibs fans newsgroup on Facebook and bumped into their back office team.

“Off the cuff, they suggested at Easter Road.

“I never thought it would be possible; it would have been an ideal location but I never thought it could be done.

“They have been absolutely fantastic – I was dealing with Brett McGoldrick and the stadium announcer Barrie Wilkins. They have really gone beyond the call of duty and I’m quite overwhelmed how far they went to make the day special.”