Hibs moved three points clear at the top of the Championship with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park yesterday.
Head Coach Neil Lennon made two changes to the starting XI following last weekend’s draw at Raith Rovers with Andrew Shinnie and Liam Fontaine replacing Marvin Bartley and Jason Cummings.
Dunfermline fielded former Hibs’ players Sean Murdoch and Farid El Alagui.
Hibs started brightly in their away kit and James Keatings struck the bar with a well taken free kick in the 14th minute before the Pars were awarded a controversial penalty kick after referee Alan Muir spotted a push at a corner kick.
Kallum Higginbotham sent Marciano the wrong way from the spot kick to give the hosts the lead then Ofir Marciano prevented the host making it 2-0 with a fantastic save from El Alagui.
Shinnie, Fraser Fyvie and Grant Holt all had chances before the half time whistle but Hibs went in at the break a goal down.
Four minutes after the restart Paul Hanlon struck the post as Hibs pressed for an equaliser which eventually arrived in the 55th minute when Keatings powerful strike deflected off Nathaniel Wedderburn into the net to the delight of the large travelling support.
Moments later Keatings hobbled off and was replaced by Martin Boyle.
In the 66th minute Shinnie latched onto John McGinn’s ball over the top and was fouled by Lee Ashcroft as he was about to strike.
The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Holt sent Murdoch the wrong way from the resultant spot kick to give Hibs a deserved lead.
In time added on substitute Brian Graham made it 3-1 from a Shinnie cross before Michael Moffat was given a straight red carded with seconds remaining.
Elsewhere both Queen of the South and Falkirk lost leaving Hibs clear at the top.
Dunfermline Athletic: Murdoch, Talbot, Martin, Ashcroft, Richards Everton, Geggan, Wedderburn, El Alagui (Hopkirk 67), Reilly, Paton (McMullan 81’), Higginbotham (Moffatt 69’). Substitutes not used: Hutton, Williamson, McCabe, Fordyce, McMullan.
Hibernian: Marciano, Gray, Hanlon, Fontaine, McGinn, Fyvie, Holt (Graham 88’), Stevenson, Keatings (Boyle 58’), Shinnie, McGregor. Substitutes not used: Laidlaw, Bartley, Forster, Harris, Cummings.
Referee: Alan Muir.
Attendance: 7,624.
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.
