Hibs 5 Queen's Park 1
Hibs produced a professional performance to claim a second Premier Sports League Cup victory in four days by defeating Queen’s Park 5-1 at Easter Road.
After beating Elgin City 5-0 days earlier, the Hibees were again amongst the goals and in the end, we could’ve won by more.
Warren O’Hora marked his Easter Road debut with the opening goal after just 14 minutes before an overhead finish from Martin Boyle doubled our advantage soon after.
Rudi Molotnikov was again impressive throughout and he notched his first senior goal on the cusp of half-time with a terrific, composed finish.
Substitute Dylan Levitt added a fourth goal with 16 minutes remaining before Boyle completed his brace soon after.
Queens found a consolation in time added on through Jack Turner however it did little to alter the scoreline as we scored five goals in back-to-back games for the first time domestically since September 1966.
David Gray made one enforced change with Nathan Moriah-Welsh replacing Chris Cadden, who wasn't risked following a knock during the Elgin win.
Youngster Molotnikov deservedly kept his place in the side after impressing in Moray.
We started on the front foot and pressed Queen’s Park back; the visitors flooding their box with bodies any time we entered the final third. In fact, only Dominic Thomas was kept up the park as Queen’s tried to block our way to goal.
We did manage some teasing, early crosses into the box however Calum Ferrie confidently claimed them.
Despite their numbers, we were soon knocking on the door of a breakthrough with Molotnikov unlucky to see his near post strike turned onto the post by Ferrie.
Moriah-Welsh then tried his luck from distance before the deadlock was broken in the 14th minute when O’Hora glanced a header from Joe Newell’s corner kick delivery in off the underside of the crossbar.
It was the defender’s first goal for the Club following his summer move from MK Dons.
We only had to wait five minutes before it was 2-0. This time Josh Campbell floated in a wonderful delivery and Boyle produced an acrobatic finish to beat Ferrie at his near post.
The goalkeeper will feel he should’ve done more to keep out the shot however all credit to Boyle for trying such an audacious bicycle effort.
Queen’s Park to their credit opened up a little and had a couple of efforts at our goal. First, Roddy McGregor tried his luck from distance before Dominic Thomas curled a shot just wide of Josef Bursik’s far post.
We would finish the half strongly and went close to a third goal when Molotnikov did well to retain possession rather than allowing it to go out and from his cut back Jordan Obita’s rising shot was just over the crossbar.
In first half stoppage time, we did notch a third goal when Campbell split the visitors’ defence wide open with a through ball that Molotnikov collected before showing calmness and composure to slot it past Ferrie for his first senior goal.
There was no change to the pattern of play after the break as we went in search of more goals.
Molotnikov did brilliantly to jink his way into the box past three Queen’s players and his low delivery fizzed across the face of goal without any takers.
Then Dylan Vente had two opportunities in quick succession, both from Boyle deliveries, and he headed each wide from promising positions.
Around the hour mark we made a host of changes with Kanayo Megwa, Rocky Bushiri, Levitt, Luke Amos and Elie Youan replacing Lewis Miller, O’Hora, Moriah-Welsh, Vente and Molotnikov.
The changes did little to alter our dominance and it was 4-0 soon after when Levitt curled a fantastic finish beyond Ferrie and in off the far post.
Still we pushed for more goals and with Youan almost taking the roof off the old ground with a stunning run that started by turning his marker inside-out on halfway, he then strode forward, nutmegged another before smashing a powerful shot beyond Ferrie and back off the post.
On 76 minutes, Campbell played in Boyle on the right and he produced a composed finish to beat Ferrie and find the far corner of the net.
Queens netted a consolation effort deep into time added on through a powerful effort from Turner.