Clean sheet is icing on cake for Stubbs’ five-star Hibs
ALAN STUBBS saw three of his defenders score as Hibs ran up their biggest winning margin of the season — then heaped praise on them for keeping a clean sheet.
Centre-half Paul Hanlon and Jason Cummings struck before the interval to give the Edinburgh side a commanding lead at the midway point.
Although Cowdenbeath then settled in the second half, a late flurry saw the Hibees score again through Scott Robertson before full-backs Callum Booth and Lewis Stevenson netted.
Stubbs’ men could have won by more but the manager’s main concern in the end was keeping the Blue Brazil out after sacrificing leads in their last two fixtures against Hearts and Falkirk.
The Easter Road boss said: ‘Sometimes it can be difficult when you’re at home because teams can come and make it really difficult for you.
‘But I thought we were good. We took our opportunities and we were in control all afternoon.
‘We’ve been disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded rather than our performances lately because at times we’ve been good. We didn’t enjoy conceding two late goals the way we did against Falkirk and, from that point of view, today was good.
‘As a former defender, I’m delighted more with the clean sheet than anything.
‘To have scored five goals at home and kept a clean sheet, it has been a good day all round.’
Stubbs’ men took an early advantage as Hanlon lobbed in to make it 1-0 from close range with nine minutes on the clock after the visitors made a mess of clearing Scott Allan’s corner.
Cummings should have doubled the lead soon after, but the striker wasted Booth’s cut-back with a weak finish.
Undeterred, the teenager put more power into his next shot but fired over the bar from the edge of the area.
It wasn’t long, however, before Hibs did make it two and Cummings tapped in after good feet from Dylan McGeouch and an Allan pass.
Cummings, clearly in the mood, drew an excellent save from Robbie Thomson with a vicious long-range strike as half-time neared.
The keeper was well placed after the restart to save a similar effort from the capital side’s leading scorer before Hanlon drilled across the face of goal and wide.
Cowdenbeath offered little in the way of a response.
Hibs went 3-0 up when Robertson played one way past Colin Marshall and ran round the other before placing beautifully past Thomson.
Booth then grabbed his first goal of the campaign with a firm shot to make it four.
There was still time for one more as Stevenson got himself off the mark, too, with a deflected low shot from 30 yards in injury time.
Away boss Jimmy Nicholl was unhappy with the way his men caved in and said: ‘Hibs made it difficult. We were expecting that but the third one was a sore one.
‘You can’t lose with it being so simple to score against you. The fourth and fifth annoyed me because there was an acceptance of that I didn’t like.’