Hibernian 4-0 Berwick Rangers
- Published
Hibs second side into Scottish Cup semi-finals
Cummings, Stevenson, Stanton and Fontaine score
Hibs record fifth straight victory
Berwick suffer fourth consecutive defeat
Two goals in two minutes sent Hibernian on their way to a comfortable Scottish Cup victory over Berwick Rangers and a place in the semi-final draw.
The League Two strugglers were looking comfortable until striker Jason Cummings finished off Lewis Stevenson's 26th-minute defence-splitting pass.
Left-back Stevenson slotted in the second moments later.
Berwick battled bravely to stay in touch until Sam Stanton's 66th-minute finish. Liam Fontaine added a fourth.
The two sides had gone into the game with contrasting ambitions - Hibs of lifting the Scottish Cup for the first time in 113 years and Berwick simply of reaching their first ever semi-final.
Odds were stacked heavily in favour of the side sitting second in the Scottish Championship and unbeaten in 12 games emerging with their dream intact as they sought their fifth straight victory.
In contrast, Berwick had suffered three straight defeats since beating Lowland League outfit Spartans, lie second bottom of League Two and had never scored against Hibs in seven previous meetings.
Yet Colin Cameron's side started confidently and squandered the best of the early chances, with former Hibs midfielder David Gold heading nervously wide when found at the back post by a Paul Willis cross.
Thoughts started to turn to the last Scottish Cup meeting between the sides, 35 years ago to the day, when Berwick held the Edinburgh side to a 0-0 draw before losing by a single goal in the replay at Easter Road.
However, within two minutes, it was a repeat of the 5-0 thumping Berwick suffered in their last meeting, in the League Cup in August 2011, that seemed more likely.
Stevenson played a delightful ball down the left wing to find Cummings racing behind a static defence and the striker's half-hit side-foot slipped under advancing goalkeeper Billy Bald.
Almost straight from the re-start, Stevenson turned from provider to scorer as he charged to the edge of the Berwick penalty area and played a neat one-two with Dominique Malonga before steering the ball into the far corner.
A Fraser Fyvie shot flashed over the Berwick crossbar, but Berwick stemmed the tide flowing towards their own goal and former Hibs midfielder Lee Currie delivered a warning to Hibs with a shot across goalkeeper Mark Oxley.
The Wee Rangers were still in the game until a Malonga shot blocked by Bald fell for substitute Stanton to slot home with the midfielder's first touch of the game after 66 minutes.
Defender Fontaine rose to put the gloss on Hibs' display with a powerful header eight minutes from time.
- Published8 March 2015
- Published8 March 2015
- Published8 March 2015