East Fife 0 - 0 Hibs: pre-season deadlock for Hibs

Hibernian drew a blank for the second successive fixture as they concluded their pre-season preparations with a frustrating stalemate with East Fife.

Alan Stubbs watches as Hibs draw with East Fife. Picture: TSPL

Alan Stubbs’ side did strike the woodwork twice, through Callum Crane and Liam Craig, while Lewis Allan went close.

Having also failed to hit the net against Dundee United in their last outing Hibs will need to find their cutting edge if they are to test Rangers in their Petrofac Training Cup opener on Tuesday.

Stubbs named trialist Michael Richardson in midfield alongside Scott Allan, making his first start for the Edinburgh club, but it was another Allan – teenager Lewis – who almost broke the deadlock. The striker latched on to a reverse pass from Farid El Alagui but saw his low shot smothered by Allan Fleming.

Easter Road skipper Liam Craig replaced Richardson on the hour mark and immediately flashed an effort wide of the post from 30 yards, but a curling free-kick from former Hibee, 
Fraser Mullen, almost saw East Fife claim the lead against the run of play, only for his shot to drift just wide. Another shot, this time from Crane, almost gave Hibs the lead, but his technically wonderful dipping volley rattled the post with Rooney rooted to the spot and Hibs last chance came and went as Craig’s towering late header crashed against the crossbar.

East Fife: Fleming (Rooney 45); Mullen (Wooley 79), Moyes (Naysmith 45), Campbell, S Smith; Cook (Barr 45), Walker (Maskrey 63), Brown (Beaton 63), Campbell, K Smith; Austin. Subs not used: McShane.

Hibernian: Oxley; Forster (Hanlon 45), Nelson, Booth; Dunsmore, S Allan (Harris 70), Tudur Jones, Richardson (Craig 58), Crane; L Allan (Heffernan 66), El Alagui (Handling 45). Subs not used: Perntreau, Stevenson, Robertson, Gardiner, Gray.

Referee: Calum Murray.

Attendance: 883