Hibernian 1 - 0 Kilmarnock: Hibs survive late onslaught to progress to quarter-finals
Eoin Doyle (far left) scores for Hibs. Picture: SNS
EOIN Doyle’s 15th minute goal was enough to sent Hibs marching into the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup this afternoon.
It was the former Sligo Rovers’ star’s second goal in the competition and his first at Easter Road. And although Killie mounted a furious late onslaught, Hibs stood strong to make the last eight.
Hibs boss Pat Fenlon pitched new signings Matt Doherty and Pa Kujabi straight into action, the pair joining last week’s arrivals James McPake and Tom Soares in the starting line-up while Roy O’Donovan took a seat on the bench while Graham Stack returned in goal after a four-match absence.
There was a real sense of purpose to Hibs from the first whistle and they had the ball in the net after just five minutes. Garry O’Connor’s ball released Tom Soares who was allowed to run a full 50 yards before unleashing a shot which Killie goalkeeper Cammy Bell just managed to turn round the post.
From the resultant corner skipper James McPake powered home a header only for referee Iain Brines to award the Ayrshire side a foul for a bit of pushing.
A terrific tackle from Michael Nelson prevented Lewis Stevenson’s reverse pass from finding O’Connor but there was nothing Killie could do to stop Doyle opening the scoring in the 15th minute. Soares’ run did the damage, the on-loan Stoke City midfielder cutting the ball back for his striker to send a right-footed shot beyond Bell.
Killie had been knocked right out of their stride by Hibs and it took them until Graham Stack got his gloves dirty, the goalkeeper diving low to his left to touch James Dayton’s low shot aside before Paul Heffernan headed a Danny Racchi cross wide from a good position.
A scintillating run down the left flank by Kujabi brought the home fans to their feet, the little full-back presenting Doyle with a half-chance but his angled shot was blocked by Bell.
Killie might have been second best throughout that first half, but Kenny Shiels’ side still carried a threat as shown by a long-range effort from Racchi which Stack did well to turn aside.
The Rugby Park outfit were certainly seeing more of the ball, pushing Hibs onto the back foot as they attempted to test an Easter Road defence which has been brittle all season but the hour mark came and went without the visitors managing to get an equaliser.
And other than a late Racchi effort which Stack shovelled round the post, that’s the way it remained despite a Killie onslaught which tested the nerve of all in green and white.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Scottish independence: ‘People here are best qualified to run Scotland’
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 69 comments to this article
Page 1 of 5
leith walk
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 05:01 PMA good draw for Hearts today means most of there supporters will have a date on St Valentines day ,Cheer up being Hearts there bound to win on that of all days.Wouldnt mind getting them next round ,Though we will probablly get Celtic.
vladhibs
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:49 PMhibs 2nd favs to win the cup, yams oot wi the washing
Vietnam Veteran
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:26 PMHi lads me again! - Cum oot.
Vietnam Veteran
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:25 PMHi lads me again! - 9k fans at the castle - aye big huge enormous team indeed.
Vietnam Veteran
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:23 PMHi lads me again! - where's the keely basher ?
vladhibs
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:17 PMsaints now favs to make the quarters
vladhibs
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:14 PMbig crowd at tescocastle today, maybe they thought the game was off to be fair
Honest Opinion
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 04:11 PMHEARTS fail in their rugby attemps to beat 10 man St Johnstone, black should have played at murrayfield yesterday, saints have an easy task in perth, well done boys.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 03:55 PMSaints from Perth what a goalllllllllllllllllllll.........
Paw Broon
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 03:20 PMRangers got well done.
Uncle Tam
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 09:21 AMFirst, congratulations to Hibs on a narrow but valuable win. I don't normally intrude on Hibs threads but I wanted to say well done to your team. Yak, I've been a Jambo since birth, I inculcated my footballing philosophy at my father's knee, He had been following the Boys in Maroon since the twenties. He was a cabinetmaker, a trade unionist and a Labour voter. This nonsense you spout about Hearts being the 'Establishment' team is fiction, Nobody thought that before Irvine Welsh invented it. Hibbies, desperate to find some way of establishing a bit of superiority seized on it. But, I repeat, Irvine Welsh just made it up, it isn't true, it's only a literary device.
vladhibs
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 09:00 AMhibs are back and just watch out the tramps in the west
pfhs77
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:55 PMGood result today. Something to build on for the league campaign and an enormous boost of morale for the team and the manager. The back line was good and midfield were ok...still need a player to put his feet on the ball in midfield and hopefully 'Pitbull' is the man for that. Here's a cpuple of questions....who drops out for Pitbull and who steps in for McPake?? Also think Griffiths give us options up front along with O'Donovan. Let's hope its the start of good things at Easter Road!
Baldrick
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:48 PMSeeing himself in the mirror at the 'diggers has clearly done Yak no favours. He is spouting increased aggression to his fellow posters and waving a most peculiar sectarian flag. He poses the question what has Scotland to fear from her Irish cousins. The answer of course is nothing. Scotland, as a peaceable nation, has nothing to fear from any member of the family of nations.
MrHibs07-1973
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:32 PM#54 Aw sooking up to Safe Harbour tott......... Until you disagree with him and start the name calling. Dear oh dear tott.
Page 1 of 5
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.