PORT LEITH
Homegrown kid Ryan is instant hero with classy double as Hibees run riot
P W D L F A Pt Motherwell ...... 3 3 0 0 11 2 9 Queen’s Park ... 4 2 1 1 9 9 7 Morton .............. 3 1 1 1 3 6 5 Edinburgh City 3 0 1 2 3 7 2 Berwick ............. 3 0 1 2 4 6 1
GROUP G
P W D L F A Pt Albion Rovs ...... 3 1 2 0 10 7 6 Hamilton ........... 3 1 2 0 8 6 6 QoS .................... 3 1 2 0 4 2 5 East Kilbride .... 4 1 1 2 5 9 5 Stenny ............... 3 0 1 2 3 6 2
GROUP H
P W D L F A Pt Livingston ........ 4 3 1 0 8 3 11 Partick ............... 3 2 1 0 8 2 7 Airdrie ............... 3 1 0 2 4 5 3 St Mirren ........... 3 1 0 2 4 7 3 Stranraer ........... 3 0 0 3 4 11 0 SIMON MURRAY bagged a hat-trick but the night belonged to local boy Ryan Porteous as the teenager hit his first goals for Hibs.
The 18-year-old academy graduate capped only his second start for the club with headers in either half as Neil Lennon’s side hammered Arbroath 6-1.
Murray took his Betfred Cup haul to five goals in three games while John McGinn was also on the scoresheet as the Easter Road outfit kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Porteous spent last season on loan at League Two Edinburgh City and Lennon said: “Ryan did great but he is a work in progress.
“He is a good defender and strong in the air. We know we have a fine player on our hands.
“I am very pleased with Simon as you don’t get disappointed with him. He missed the easy ones and scores the hard ones.
“He deserves everything he gets because of what he gives to the team.”
And Lennon last night revealed Lithuanian midfielder Vykintas Slivka is set to join his team on a three-year deal instead of a loan switch with the club awaiting confirmation today.
He said: “Slivka is a decent player. He might take time to bed in but it is a good piece of business and I hope he shows what he can do here. His contract was up at Juventus next year and we liked the idea of a permanent deal and he has agreed to that.
“Deivydas Matulevicius’s clearance has also come through and talks with Anthony Stokes are ongoing.”
Lennon’s men started the night a point behind their League One opposition but Murray thought he’d wiped that out after latching on to Steven Whittaker’s throughball seven minutes in.
The summer signing rounded Red Lichties No.1 Ricky Gomes but his joy was short-lived thanks to an exceptionally late flag.
Murray didn’t have to wait long for his goal, though, converting David Gray’s cross with a glancing header in 18 minutes.
Danny Swanson wildly lashed over from the penalty spot four minutes later after Porteous was upended in the box before the former St Johnstone playmaker smashed a shot against the bar.
And Arbroath stunned the home side in 37 minutes when a quick corner saw the ball driven across the face of goal by Bobby Linn and Steven Doris slid home an equaliser at the back post.
The tie didn’t stay level for long as Porteous put away McGinn’s cross with a fine downward header on the stroke of half-time.
Ross Laidlaw’s fingertip save stopped Danny Denholm levelling with a scorching drive 60 seconds after the break – and Hibs were two up five minutes later.
Gray raced down the right before squaring to leave Murray the simplest of tap-ins.
Within a minute it was 4-1 as McGinn curled into the bottom corner from 18 yards.
Man-of-the-match Porteous then buried another superb header from Efe Ambrose’s cross two minutes from time.
And Murray ran through on goal to claim the match ball just moments before the whistle went.
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell said: “We were well spanked. I was very impressed with Hibs and they will give Premiership teams trouble this season.”