Hibs took all three points against nearest rivals Queen of the South at Palmerston Park this afternoon and have now consolidated third position in the Championship.
The Easter Road side moved to within two points of second placed Rangers whose game against Cowdenbeath was postponed.
Head Coach Alan Stubbs kept the same starting XI that beat Cowdenbeath 5-0 last weekend, but it was the home side who started brightly and dominated early possession.
The players all wore black arm bands as a mark of respect for former Chairman Douglas Cromb who passed away earlier this week aged 84.
Hibs almost took the lead against the run of play in the 19th minute when Queen’s goalkeeper James Atkinson was unable to hold a shot from Scott Robertson but the defence was able to clear the ball before Liam Craig could pounce.
Liam Fontaine then thought that he had opened the scoring with a fine header from Scott Allan’s corner, but the ball was cleared off the line then both Craig and Martin Boyle went close before Queens had a claim for a penalty when the ball bounced up to strike the arm of Paul Hanlon (pictured) but referee Calum Murray correctly waved away their appeals.
In the 63rd minute, Scott Allan found Jason Cummings with a perfectly weighted through ball and the teenager rounded Atkinson who was forced to bring him down leaving the referee an easy decision.
On loan Celtic midfielder Dylan McGeouch calmly coonverted the resultant spot kick to the delight of the large travelling support.
Hibs almost doubled their lead a few minute later when McGeough surged forward and found Martin Boyle in the box, but the strikers shot was defkected onto the post.
Hibs eventually wrapped thngs up with 15 minutes remaining, when Cummings found Robertson who smashed a right foot shot into the net to secure a valuable win which leaves Hibs 5 points clear of Falkirk who beat Hearts at Tynecastle and six clear of Queen of the South..
Queen of the South: Atkinson, Holt, Dowie, Higgins, Millar (Burns 77), Reilly, Russell, Kidd, Carmichael, McShane (Pickard 83), Lyle (Paton 71).
Subs not used: Clark, Mitchell, Smith, Dickinson.
Hibs: Oxley, Stevenson, Hanlon, Fontaine, Booth, S Allan (Stanton 84), Robertson, Craig, McGeouch, Boyle (Forster 85), Cummings (Handling 90+2)
Subs not used: Perntreou, Heffernan, L Allan, Martin.
Referee: Calum Murray.
Attendance: 3677.
Photo by John Preece
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
