Swanson at the double for Hibees

fellow second-half substitute Danny Swanson after 52 minutes, slipping a neat pass to the mercurial playmaker who curled a clinical effort beyond Gary Maley.

And as the sun beat down on Linlithgow, Swanson was the man who really shone. He bagged a brace in the dying embers when he met a slick Oli Shaw cut-back to fizz a low drive into the net from 18 yards.

Hibs head coach Neil Lennon beat a hasty retreat in the aftermath of the victory, failing to speak to the assembled media and leaving questions regarding the club’s reported interest in Preston winger Daryl Horgan unanswered.

It was left to Linlithgow boss Mark Bradley to lavish praise on his players – and he revealed the swift departure of Lennon was nothing compared to former East Fife and Alloa defender John Ovenstone, another Rose trialist, who had to be replaced on the hourmark so he could start his shift as a fireman.

“John played for us before – but he hasn’t kicked a ball in nine months!” lauded Bradley.

“We had to take John off because he had to get to his work! He had to get to Glenrothes for the start of his shift. So we didn’t have much choice with that substitution.

“He was excellent. It was a makeshift team – we had to call in some favours from former players – but I don’t think it looked like that at any point.”