Hibs through to Betfred Cup quarter finals after eight goal thriller

Hibs joined neighbours Hearts in the quarter finals of the
Betfred League Cup after a dramatic 5-3 extra time victory over Morton at Easter
Road this afternoon.

Head Coach Paul Heckingbottom made six changes to the starting XI that lost to Rangers last week and gave on-loan winger Glenn Middleton his debut for the club.

Popular left back Lewis Stevenson returned to the first team after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an injury and he was given a warm welcome back by the home fans.

There was an early scare for the hosts when Darren McGregor
had to leave the field with an injury and was replaced by Adam Jackson.

Hibs took a deserved lead when Middleton slid a perfect pass
to Scott Allan who fired the ball past Danny Rogers into the bottom corner of
the net then added a second after Josh Vela fired home a superb cutback from Daryl
Horgan.

It looked as though Hibs would win by a cricket score as
they continued to mount attack after attack but Morton fought back and went in
at the break level.

Nicky Cadden drilled in a cross that Bob McHugh managed to
knock past Chris Maxwell then just before the half time whistle Aiden Nesbitt’s
cross was bundled into his own net by the unfortunate Stevenson.

Morton started the second half in a confident mood but it
was Hibs who regained the lead after Florian Kamberi benefitted from a mix up in
the Morton defence and rounded Rogers before calmly sliding the ball into the net
from the edge of the area.

Hibs appeared to have done enough but in the 90^th
minute Kyle Jacobs fired a hopeful ball into the six-yard box which substitute
Steven Whittaker turned past his own keeper.

Both sides had chances before Kamberi grabbed his second
when he raced onto a perfect pass from Allan and fired the ball past Rogers.

Morton manager David Hopkin protested about what he claimed
was an earlier foul on Cameron Salkeld and was shown a red card.

Morton almost equalised but Maxwell produced a fantastic
save to deny Reghan Tumilty then in the last minute Fraser Murray found fellow
substitute Christian Doidge who calmly looped the ball over Rogers to secure
the victory, much to the relief of the home supporters.

After the game Hibs’ assistant manager Robbie Stockdale told
BBC Scotland: “We took the foot off the gas and it doesn’t matter what
opposition you do that against, it’s difficult to turn that momentum around.

“We spoke at half-time and reminded us of what got us
into the lead and for large periods of the second half we were dominant. We got
sucker-punched right at the end but the aim was to get through to the next
round and we are. We’ve had to go through a little bit of pain to get there,
but hopefully that might put us in good stead going forward.

“It’s the first time we’ve had to come through that
pain today, and we’ve done it well.”

Hibs: Maxwell, Gray, Hanlon, McGregor, Stevenson, Vela, Horgan,
Slivka, Middleton, Kamberi, Allan. Substitutes: Marciano, Whittaker, Doidge,
Newell, Jackson, Shaw, Murray

Morton: Rogers, McLean, Jacobs, Millar, McAlister, Nesbitt,
McHugh, Strapp, Lyon, Blues, Cadden. Substitutes: Ramsbottom, Tumility, Grant,
Muirhead, Orsi, Salkeld, Sutton

Referee Alan Muir

Attendance 6,557