Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-3 Hibernian: Visitors ease aside last season's Scottish Cup finalists
- Published
Myziane Maolida opened the scoring with his second goal for Hibs
Clinical Hibernian eased aside last season's beaten finalists Inverness Caledonian Thistle with three second-half goals to progress to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
Myziane Maolida's wickedly deflected drive early after the break put the Premiership visitors on their way.
Martin Boyle rounded goalkeeper Mark Ridgers for the second before his cross was turned in by Elie Youan.
Aaron Doran's fine volley in the dying seconds was mere consolation.
This was a tough battle between two sides sitting seventh in respective leagues, in no-man's land between top half of table and relegation trouble, and it showed in the lack of first-half penetration and bite.
Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson, an FA Cup winner with Everton, said he was "dreaming" of taking his side all the way to their second Scottish Cup final in two seasons.
With only four survivors from last season's Hampden defeat by Celtic, and shorn of experienced Danny Devine in defence and in-form Ross County forward Alex Samuel through injury, the hosts nevertheless took the game to the top-tier side from kick-off.
However, it was Hibs who created the two best first-half chances from January signings making their first starts - midfielder Luke Amos firing wastefully wide and on-loan Sunderland forward Eliezer Mayenda having a shot beaten away by Ridgers.
Handed a start and watched from the stand by his famous namesake dad, on-loan Wigan Athletic centre-half James Carragher had nevertheless marshalled a young back three into stiff resistance.
Two changes at half time from visiting head coach Nick Montgomery changed the course of the game as Amos and Mayenda made way for Dylan Levitt and Elie Youan, who had both been dropped to the bench after their midweek defeat by Celtic.
Levitt's probing from midfield set up Maolida for the opener and he then forced Ridgers into a fine stop.
Cammy Kerr's header off the bar briefly hinted at a home fightback, but Boyle extinguished that after Morgan Boyes made a mess of a clearance with 15 minutes remaining.
The winger's low cross was then bundled in by Youan and Hibs were on their way to ending a run of four games without a victory long before Doran's spectacular reply.
Player of the match - Martin Boyle (Hibernian)
Martin Boyle was always a danger for the visitors, with the Australia winger scoring Hibs' second goal and setting up their third
What they said
Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson: "We obviously knew it was going to be a tough game.
"There wasn't much in it at half time and then we gave away a couple of poor goals. I was happy with the performance, but it was a mountain to climb after those two goals."
Hibernian head coach Nick Montgomery: "It was a comfortable victory in the end. Not an easy place to come, always a difficult cup tie and playing against an underdog.
"But I thought the boys executed the game very well and I thought we more than deserved to get through. We created a lot of opportunities at the end, we probably could have had a couple more and I think they had one shot on target and it was a fantastic finish by the boy."
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