Hibs Under-18s march into Scottish Cup quarter-finals with comprehensive victory over Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale

Hibs Under-18s booked their spot in the last eight of the Scottish Youth Cup with a comprehensive victory over Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale Under-20s at Ainslie Park on Wednesday night.

Hibs are comfortably into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Youth Cup after a 5-0 win against Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale. Picture: Maurice Dougan

Freddie Wylie’s opener and Connor Young’s long-range strike had the wee Hibees 2-0 up at the interval, and when Josh O’Connor made it three shortly after the restart, there really only looked like being one winner.

Malik Zaid and substitute Ethan Laidlaw added a goal each in the final 15 minutes, with Young also hitting the post via a deflected free kick.

Gareth Evans and Eddie May kept faith with the same team that defeated Celtic 1-0 at the Hibernian Training Centre on Friday night on league duty, meaning 15-year-old Jacob MacIntyre kept his place at right wing-back, while Murray Aiken continued in central defence.

The visitors started strongly on a chilly evening and Mack Weir got the first sight of goal after six minutes but couldn’t direct his header on target. Young then lifted an effort high and wide after capitalising on a short pass-back, while Oscar MacIntyre floated a free kick into a dangerous area but there were no takers.

Wylie, who scored the only goal of the game against Celtic, struck after a quarter of an hour, his shot from the edge of the area seemingly lacking power but still evading Ben Galloway’s outstretched hand.

O’Connor and Young were proving a handful for the LTHV defence but Robbie Hamilton provided a threat from midfield, testing Galloway on a handful of occasions from range.

Murray Johnson had to be alert to tip over a speculative effort from Lucas Dobson, the right-back shooting from virtually the halfway line, but the Hibs ‘keeper was otherwise relatively untested.

It seemed like a matter of time before Hibs scored again and Young duly obliged just before half-time, giving Galloway no chance with a powerful effort from outside the area.

O’Connor made it three shortly after the restart, tucking under the ‘keeper from close range, with Young going close again and Wylie seeing an effort tipped wide.

The impressed Zaid got the goal his performance deserved 15 minutes from time with substitute Ethan Laidlaw, on for Young, making it five minutes after entering the game.

Hibs now have a home tie against Celtic in the quarter-finals.

LTHV: Galloway; Dobson, Chisholm, J Young, McGarry; Dalgleish (Walton 78), Findlay (Purdie 62), Begg, Foster, Renton (Waller 62), Nisbet. Subs not used: Bradley, Craig, Brown

Hibs: Johnson; J MacIntyre (Molotnikov 84), O MacIntyre, Aiken, Weir, Megwa; Wylie, Zaid, Hamilton; O’Connor, C Young (Laidlaw 78). Subs not used: Blair, Reilly, Smith, Hastie, Fordyce.