EDDIE’S GREIGHT ESCAPE
May seals quarter-final slot before handing over to the new gaffer
Eddie May led Hibs into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals in his last act as caretaker boss after revealing the club will announce their new manager this week.
The stand-in gaffer was told immediately after watching his side stroll to victory over Raith Rovers that Easter Road chiefs are close to unveiling Neil Lennon’s successor.
Former Oxford United manager Michael Appleton is the hot favourite with the bookies and the new man can look forward to a last-eight tie next month thanks to May and sidekick Grant Murray.
May admitted he was delighted to get the victory in his final match in charge as Hibs eased past John McGlynn’s League One outfit.
Daryl Horgan netted his fifth of the season to set them on their way and Vykintas Slivka added another before half-time.
Marc McNulty’s first since arriving on loan last month put the game beyond doubt before the hour.
Euan Murray pulled one back for the Kirkcaldy outfit to give former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the rest of the 1800 Fife fans something to cheer at Easter Road.
But despite some shaky play in the latter stages it was a comfortable afternoon for Hibs and May said: “That will be my last game and I am delighted to go out on a win.
“I don’t have a clue who they’ve got. They just thanked me and Grant for what we’ve done and the new man should be announced some time in the coming week.
“The new man is coming in and at least we are in the quarter-final.
“I know Grant and I will take training on Monday as normal and maybe Tuesday or Wednesday, the new man will be announced.
“He will know what he wants to go and do when he assesses the players.
“The club has a great record in terms of getting to Hampden over the past few years and I hope that continues over the coming weeks.
“Hibs have a great tradition in terms of trying to win the Cup and I hope they can go and reach another semi-final and final.
“The object was to get through to the next round and we did that quite comfortably against Raith.”
The only real drama came before kick-off when stewards found a suspicious package during a routine check of the stadium.
That threatened to delay the start but it was a false alarm and Hibs started on the front foot when the action got under way.
May’s men pinned the Fifers back in the early stages but in a rare attack it was the visitors who had the best chance to take the lead.
But Ofir Marciano got down well to stop a stinging Tony Dingwall drive.
Stevie Mallan was then a whisker away from breaking the deadlock at the other end when his dipping effort fizzed just past the right-hand post of Robbie Thomson. The Raith keeper looked beaten then and he was soon picking the ball out of the net as Hibs grabbed the lead in the 21st minute.
And it was a great piece of skill from Horgan as the Irishman took out two defenders to cut on to his left foot and send a brilliant effort high into the net.
The League One side could have crumbled after that but they came back stronger and had chances to level in their best period of the game.
Nathan Flanagan saw an effort deflected into the side netting and Dingwall headed just wide after throwing himself at a Jamie Barjonas cross from the right.
But they paid the price for missing those chances as Hibs extended their lead before the break and Horgan was involved again.
The Irishman’s cross into the box was laid off by McNulty into the path of Slivka and the Lithuanian drilled a shot beyond Thomson. It was a long way back for the Fifers but, before he eventually got on the scoresheet, Murray had a golden chance when Dingwall played him in early in the second half but the defender fired over.
And again they were made to pay as Hibs grabbed a third just before the hour when McNulty raced onto Horgan’s throughball and controlled it with his head before coolly slotting under Thomson.
Murray then atoned for his earlier miss when he got on the end of Flanagan’s corner to power a header beyond Marciano and give the healthy travelling contingent behind the goal something to cheer.
And it could have been a nervy finale for Hibs if Darren McGregor’s backward header had gone into his own net after a breakdown in communication with Marciano, who had come out to gather the ball.
Murray also headed just wide as Raith tried to set up a grandstand finish but Hibs steadied the ship to make sure their name was in the hat for the sixth round draw tomorrow.