Hibs add extra dimension with return of Scotland striker as Gray revels in Scottish Cup positives

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Bowie’s comeback boosts forward line as Bankies beaten

Hibs boss David Gray believes the return of star striker Kieron Bowie will give his team an extra dimension to their attack. The Scotland Under-21 forward made his first appearance since September as a second-half substitute in today’s 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Clydebank at Easter Road.

Gray praised the £600,000 summer signing, who needed major hamstring surgery after pulling up on international duty, for working so hard to get back on the pitch ahead of schedule. On a day when Mykola Kuharevich also returned from injury and 16-year-old Lewis Gillie made his debut, Bowie was roared back onto the pitch by home fans.

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And Gray, asked about the impact of the versatile attacker’s return, said: “It just gives us a completely different way of playing at times. I think you've seen that.

“You know, he's a big, strong, physical player, really suited to playing Scottish football. I think you've seen that from a few cameo appearances he had early on in the season.

“And it'll be great to have someone else like that to be able to use. He just needs to keep, obviously, progressing and getting himself as fit as he can and as strong as he can.

“If we can get him to a level where we know he can be, then he'll be a real asset for us, which is good. When you've had a long-term injury, and he's had a couple in recent years, he had to really keep battling and working really hard in the gym to make sure he can get himself back.

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“And I think days like today, that’s why you go through all the pain you go through in the gym and all the hard work you go through to get back on the pitch. So it's great to see him back out there.

“He's still got a long way to go, he knows that. He's got a lot of work to do still. But at least now he feels that there's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for him, and he's back involved and affecting games now, which will be great.

“It was great to get Kieron back on, Myko got 45 minutes in his legs, and then Rudi Molotnikov did really well as a young lad who's not played as much in recent weeks, coming back from injury. It was great.

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“And then, obviously, icing on the cake for young Lewis Gilli, getting on at the very end, 16-years-old, and getting his debut, and doing really well when he came on as well. You know, I thought he was excellent, and it's a day he'll remember for the rest of his life, which is great.”

On his team’s performance in a game where they scored after 90 seconds, a minute into the second half and then just before the hour mark, Gray said: “It’s job done. We started really well scoring early then it was full credit to Clydebank. To lose a goal in the first minute, it would have been easy to throw the towel in.

“They worked hard, and their fans were fantastic. We knew that would be a challenge because it was their cup final.

“At times in the first half we were sloppy giving the ball away but in the second half we were miles better. Everyone has come through the game, and we’ve scored three goals, kept a clean sheet. So all in all, good job done.”

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