Hibs 3-1: Raith Rovers: Hibs make sure of no cup shock with easy win over Raith

Many had seen this as a potential banana skin for managerless Hibs, Raith Rovers returning to Easter Road almost five years to the day since they'd knocked the Edinburgh side out of the Scottish Cup.
Vykintas Slivka,  scorer of Hibs second goal against Raith Rovers,  congratulates Daryl Horgan on opening the scoring for the Easter Road sideVykintas Slivka,  scorer of Hibs second goal against Raith Rovers,  congratulates Daryl Horgan on opening the scoring for the Easter Road side
Vykintas Slivka, scorer of Hibs second goal against Raith Rovers, congratulates Daryl Horgan on opening the scoring for the Easter Road side

Given Hibs are currently managerless and suffering a miserable run in the Premiership, there was plenty of reason for such thinking but on the day they turned in a thoroughly professional performance to ensure their name will be in the quarter-final draw.

First half goals from Daryl Horgan and Vykintas Slivka had eased any nerves among the home fans before Marc McNulty added a third on his Easter Road debut before Euan Murray threw Rovers lifeline 15 minutes from time as he powered home a header.

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Ofir Marciano was the first of the goalkeepers to be tested, the Hibs man getting down low to his left to get strong hand on Tony Dingwall;s shot from distance before Stevie Mallan, who had seen an earlier effort blocked by Iain Davidson curled the ball just wide of target.

Hibs did get themselves in front in the 22nd minute, Horgan taking Slivka's pass before taking the ball onto his left foot to leave Raith goalkeeper Robbie Thomson wiht no chance of stopping a rising shot which found the top corner of his net.

But League One Raith weren't shaken by that setback, Jamie Barjonas delivering an inviting cross for Dingwall to throw himself at,a ball which just missed his head by inches.

The Premiership side, though, got the second goal they needed seven minutes from half-time,McNulty cleverly laying Mallan's ball down into the path of Slivka who drilled a low shot past Thomson from 15 yards.

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Raith knew they had to get the next goal if they were to have any chance of remaining in this tie and seconds after the game resumed for the second half,Murray went close to doing that, the right back getting forward to fire in a rising shot which flew over.

However, Hibs all but put the game beyond them in the 58th minute when McNulty latched onto Horgan's ball over the top before drilling it under Thomson's body.

Hibs had a chance to add to that tally when substitute Stephane Omeonga's pass set Flo Kamberi free. But with McNulty is space to his right, the Swiss hitman elected to go himself, a deflection off Grant Gillespie taking his shot wide.

A game which had looked like petering out as a comfortable Hibs win took a twist in the 75th minute when Murray rose to bullet home a header from Nathan Flanagan's corner.

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It proved, though, to be no more than a momentary scare as Hibs ran our comfortable winners

Hibs: Marciano, Gray, McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson, Slivka, Milligan (Whittaker 79), Mallan, Horgan (Omeonga 65), Kamberi, McNulty (Shaw 86)

Substitutes not used: Dabrowski, Nelom, Bigirimana, Mackie.

Raith Rovers: Thomson, Murray, Davidson, Benedictus, Crane, Gillespie, Barjonas (Matthews 80), Wedderburn, Dingwall, Nesbit (Duggan 67), Flanagan.

Substitutes not used: Lyness, Buchanan, McKay, Watson, Smith.

Referee: Bobby Madden