Glory Days: Hibs clinch cup with a high five at Hampden

Published on Friday 3 July 2009 10:00

HIBS were ruthless in front of goal as John Collins' team swept aside Kilmarnock to lift their first piece of silverware for 16 years.

The match had seemed too close to call prior to kick-off, with both sides locked together on 43 points in the SPL table, but Abdessalam Benjelloun and Steven Fletcher put the match beyond doubt with doubles after skipper Rob Jones, pictured below, had given his side a vital lead.

His goals aside, Moroccan striker Benjelloun played an integral part in what was a memorable victory for the 28,000 Hibs supporters who turned out at Hampden.

He said: "I will always remember that game very well. I scored two goals that day and we played very well.

"It was a nice feeling to be able to help the club win the cup because it was the first time in 17 years.

"We had a really good side with players like Scott Brown, Steven Whittaker and Steven Fletcher. Hibs have always had good young players.

"We all wanted to do our best for Hibs and in my head now I always have that game.

"I cannot stop thinking about the 5-1 win over Kilmarnock or the celebrations when we lifted the cup at the end."

Jones' opener was a trademark towering header from the 6ft 7in defender as he rose to meet David Murphy's corner to give Hibs the lead at half-time.

But they emerged with a new vigour and determination after the break and completely outclassed their opponents in the second 45 minutes to claim the trophy.

The fantastically quick feet of Benjelloun turned Gordon Greer inside out before the Moroccan hitman curled a wonderful left-foot shot beyond Alan Combe to double Hibs' advantage.

The Kilmarnock goalkeeper was then left an on-looker as Brown's pass met Fletcher's perfectly-timed run for the striker to put Hibs on easy street with a third – or so it seemed.

Greer set a few nerves jangling as he rose to nod home Fraser Wright's header, incredibly Killie's first goal in any of their five League Cup finals, but any anxiety was soon soothed as a glorious cross-field pass from Guillaume Beuzelin sailed over the head of Fletcher, who supplied the pass for Benji to claim his second of the game.

The fifth simply rubbed salt in Killie's wounds, Combe succeeding only in sending Garry Hay's backpass high into the air, and Fletcher adding to the goalkeeper's embarrassment by firing the ball through his legs to complete a sensational victory.

Hibs: McNeil, Whittaker, Hogg, Jones, Murphy, Sproule (Zemmama 79), Brown, Beuzelin, Stevenson, Benjelloun, Fletcher. Subs not used: Simon Brown, Stewart.

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