The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Controversial penalty sends Hibs through
Lennon a happy man as Livingston are edged out at Easter Road
“
We’re in the semi-final, we got the win, we played good football, we created umpteen chances and thoroughly deserved to win.
NEIL LENNON
HIBERNIAN 3 LIVINGSTON 2
Neil Lennon insisted he was a “very happy man” despite seeing his Hibs side make hard work of beating Livingston in their Betfred Cup quarter-final.
Hibs eventually prevailed 3-2 thanks to a late Anthony Stokes penalty, but failed to deliver the improvements demanded by Lennon after Saturday’s draw with Motherwell.
The 2-2 draw drew scathing criticism from Lennon, but he insisted he was delighted to get through to the final four after seeing off the Championship club.
“I thought we were excellent,” he said. “From an attacking point of view I think we could have scored three goals in the first 10 minutes. We scored two beautiful goals.
“Their second goal was beautiful, there wasn’t much defensively we could do about that, their first goal was poor from us because it was a set play, which we worked on yesterday, but we dealt with it and the character the team showed was fantastic.
“You’re looking at a very happy man here.
“We’re in the semi-final, we got the win, we played good football, we created umpteen chances and thoroughly deserved to win the game.
“It might have been a bit nervy at times but I thought we had good control of the game for long periods.”
The hosts found themselves behind twice in the first half after goals from Alan Lithgow and Raffaele De Vita, but Danny Swanson and Martin Boyle cancelled them out before Stokes’ late, contentious penalty.
Livi boss David Hopkin was not impressed by the decision from Bobby Madden. He said: “Some of Bobby’s decisions tonight baffled me.
“I didn’t think it was a penalty. I’ve just seen it on TV again. The linesman didn’t give it, no one did I just think Bobby gave a soft penalty.”
The home side side started the game on the front foot as Stokes forced a fine save from Neil Alexander, and the goalkeeper beat a shot away from Boyle moments later.
However, it was Livingston who took the lead in the 11th minute with their first real foray into Hibs’ final third.
De Vita swung in a fine free-kick onto the head of Lithgow, whose glancing header was beyond the reach of Ross Laidlaw in the Hibs goal.
An impatient and frustrated crowd was finally given something to cheer in the 20th minute, as Boyle found more room down the right flank before cutting back to Swanson, who curled in a first-time effort at the near post for his first goal for the club since his arrival from St Johnstone in the summer.
However once again against the run of play, Livingston retook the lead through a moment of brilliance from De Vita, as he fired in a fine half-volley which crashed in off the underside of the bar.
The lead lasted barely four minutes before Boyle again found space inside the area and fired low past Alexander to leave the sides level at 2-2 at the break.
De Vita was forced off the pitch just before half-time, but his absence brought about a change in shape from Hopkin and the hosts struggled to pose the same threat.
Hibs went close a couple of times in the second period, but eventually grabbed a deserved win after Hanlon was barged in the back inside the area and Madden awarded a penalty.
Stokes slotted it confidently into the corner to book a semi-final spot.
Attendance: 8,535.
Hibernian: Laidlaw, Gray (Whittaker 13), Ambrose, Hanlon, Stevenson, Boyle, Slivka (Mcgeouch 66), Bartley, Mcginn, Swanson (Barker 88), Stokes. Subs Not Used: Matulevicius, Marciano, Simon Murray, Porteous.
Livingston: Alexander, Todorov, Halkett, Lithgow, De Vita (Longridge 43), Jacobs (Mullen 62), Byrne, Pitman, Cadden, Carrick, Knox (Mullin 56). Subs not used: Mackin, Robinson, Maley, Brown.