Hibs prevail in frantic fight against the Ton
Hibs 5
They did it the hard way.
But Hibs booked their place in the Betfred Cup quarter finals after a frantic, 120-minute fight with Greenock Morton.
The Hibees held the lead three times against their Championship opponents – yet the Ton refused to lie down.
From looking dead and buried after Hibs roared into a two-goal lead through Scott Allan and Josh Vela, Morton hit back at the end of each half to force their top division opponents on to the ropes.
With the game in extra-time, the prospect of a cup shock loomed at Easter Road.
But goals from Florian Kamberi and Christian Doidge finished David Hopkin’s side off.
Given how comfortable their team were for the opening 39 minutes of the first half, Hibs fans must have been scratching their heads at the interval.
From 2-0 up and cruising to 2-2 in the space of six mad, self-destructive minutes.
It was mind-boggling stuff from the home team’s perspective. For the visitors, however, it was glorious.
From the off, Hibs were in charge – just 20 minutes and their dominance was known.
Scott Allan was the man on the mark, collecting Glenn Middleton’s slotted ball before gliding into the box and finding Morton goalie Danny Rogers’ far corner with a side-footed finish.
After last weekend’s horror show at Ibrox, the Hibees sensed an opportunity to put on a show, and after Josh Vela smashed Daryl Horgan’s neat cut back past Rogers on 32 minutes, it seemed the floodgates were about to open.
But with the fiery David Hopkin glaring on from the dugout, the Ton refused to back down.
Their comeback started when Nicky Cadden got the better of Lewis Stevenson wide on the right, before hammering over a cross that Bob Mchugh nudged home.
With mere minutes to go until the break, “see it out” became Hibs’ mantra.
But in the final minute of the half, the reeling Hibees surrendered their lead when Stevenson miscontrolled Aidan Nesbitt’s left flank cross into his own net under pressure from Cadden.
Hibs were suddenly crumbling. However, the break saw the home side recover most of their composure.
Morton emerged full of belief, but Florian Kamberi burst their bubble 10 minutes into the second half after chasing down Vykintas Slivka’s long ball, then calmly slotting it into the empty net from 18 yards, under pressure from two defenders.
Again, they should have seen Morton off. But again, right at the death, Hibs coughed up a goal when Steven Whittaker deflected Reghan Tumilty’s rifled effort into his own goal.
It was head-in-hands stuff for the home side – and a frantic half-hour of desperate, extra-time football followed.
Hibs struck the post through Fraser Murray, then Ton went close with a Jim Mcalister header.
But the home side seized the initiative for the third – and decisive – time in the match when Allan sent Kamberi through to slot past Rogers one-on-one.
Furious ‘Ton boss Hopkin was shown a red card in the aftermath – which Morton intends to complain about to the SFA – and watched from the main stand as Doidge dinked home Hibs’ fifth.
After the effort Morton spent, they left Easter Road with spirits low.
But the Championship side can also hold their heads high after a spirited performance. Hibs:
(4-2-3-1) Maxwell 6; Gray 5 (Whittaker 74, 4); Mcgregor 3 (Jackson 14, 6); Hanlon 6; Stevenson 6; Slivka 6; Vela 7; Horgan 6 (Doidge 91, 5); Allan 6; Middleton 5 (Murray 79, 6); Kamberi 8. Unused subs – Marciano (GK); Newell; Shaw. Morton:
(4-5-1) Rogers 6; Jacobs 7 (Orsi 117, 2); Mcalister 7; Mclean 7; Strapp 8; Cadden 8; Blues 6 (Tumilty 76, 6); Millar 7 (Sutton 80, 5); Lyon 7; Nesbitt 7 (Salkeld 84, 5); Mchugh 8. Unused subs – Ramsbottom (GK); Grant; Muirhead.
MATCH stats
star MAN
was a constant menace as Morton threatened to turn Hibs over. His tenacity summed up their performance.
NICKY CADDEN
@Magsbryce1874