A Kevin Nisbet hat trick helped secure an emphatic 4-1 victory over Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena this afternoon.
Jack Ross made two changes to the starting XI that beat Kilmarnock last weekend with Daryl Horgan and Christian Doidge replacing Scott Allan and Drey Wright.
Former Hibs players Marvin Bartley and Efe Ambrose started for the hosts.
After a slow start from both teams, Hibs took the lead in the 25th minute when Horgan picked up the ball on the left wing, beat Jack Fitzwater and fired a tremendous left-footed low cross to the back post which Kevin Nisbet knocked into the net from two yards out.
Hibs doubled their advantage in the 39th minute when youngster Josh Doig picked up the ball in midfield, strode forward and drew a defender before finding Horgan on the left. The Irishman cut back then sent in a superb right footed cross which Nisbet headed into the bottom corner of the net.
Just before the break Hibs won a corner on the left which Joe Newell took. As the ball was in the air, Horgan was wrestled to the ground and Paul Hanlon’s header was cleared into the path of Ryan Porteous. The young defender’s shot rebounded off Nisbet into the path of Doidge who knocked the ball into the net off the post from close range.
Hibs created three early chances immediately after the restart before the hosts pulled one back in controversial circumstances.
Fitzwater sent a long diagonal ball into the penalty box and for a reason only known to himself, referee Euan Anderson pointed to the spot and booked Ryan Porteous. Lyndon Dykes sent Ofir Marciano the wrong way with the resultant penalty kick and Livingston were back in the game.
Hibs continued to dominate possession with Martin Boyle causing problems to the Livingston defenders although Livingston looked dangerous on the break however and Ambrose tried a speculative 30 yard strike which flew narrowly wide.
Horgan picked up a knock and was replaced by Melker Hallberg in the 79th minute then moments later the referee missed a blatant back pass in the Livingston box to the annoyance of Nisbet.
Alec Gogic had a chance to wrap things up with seven minutes remaining after being set up by Boyle but his shot/cross flew across the face of the goals.
In the dying minutes, Bartley bundled Hallberg over inside the area and Hibs were awarded a penalty.
Nisbet calmly stepped up and fired the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net to secure his hat trick and Hibs continued their winning start to the season.
Livingston: McCrorie, Devlin, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Brown, Ambrose, Barley, Sibbald, Pittman, Robinson, Dykes. Subs: Stryjek, McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Crawford, Souda, Forrest, Poplatnik, Tiffoney, Kouider-Aissa
Hibs: Marciano ,McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Doig, Boyle, Gogic, Newell, Horgan, Doidge, Nisbet. Subs: Dabrowski, Gray, McGregor, Stevenson, Stirling, Hallberg, Murray, Allan, Gullan
Referee Euan Anderson
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.
