Hibs book Hampden place with barnstorming Highland win - report and ratings from Premier Sports Cup triumph

Under pressure to deliver for their travelling supporters and a manager in the firing line, Hibs delivered a barnstorming 3-0 victory in the Highlands to book themselves a place at Hampden. David Gray’s men, facing intense criticism from sections of the support after losing three of their previous four games, comfortably saw off Ross County in their Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.

Club record signing Thibault Klidje bagged an opener for the visitors with just six minutes on the clock, the Togo international celebrating wildly after scoring his first Hibs goal since last December. They were 2-0 up before the quarter-hour mark, thanks to Adam Mayor’s thumping penalty.

When Ante Suto – one of half a dozen new faces in the starting XI as Gray gambled in this crucial Cup clash – made it 3-0 with a sliding finish seven minutes before half-time, passage to the last four had been all but secured. And Hibs strolled through most of a stress-free second half to ensure that they will be one of the four teams in tomorrow’s semi-final draw.

They can also look forward to another busy week of league action, with Kilmarnock and Aberdeen both visiting Easter Road, with something approaching swagger. You probably couldn’t have said that 24 hours ago, as Gray fielded questions about supporter unrest – fuelled at least in part by the fear of a shock here.

The starting line-up contained a few surprises in its own right, with Joe Newell, Ante Suto, Thibault Klidje and Kanayo Megwa among the more surprising inclusions for the visitors. But the fact that Owen Elding was fit enough to make the bench, despite his recent struggles with a calf injury, was definitely a bonus for the Edinburgh outfit.

For a team who have been struggling to put away chances, though, it quickly became clear that they wouldn’t be required to call upon emergency goal threats from the bench. What a start they made.

Klidje, a subject of intense debate virtually since the moment he arrived in a record-breaking £1.5 million deal last summer, took his first chance brilliantly, rising to get power and direction on Felix Passlack’s floated cross from the right. The wee man definitely enjoyed the moment, too, judging by his celebration in front of the away fans.

Passlack was involved as Hibs went 2-0 not long after, his in-swinging corner from the left forcing a handball in the box. Mayor’s penalty was thumped into the top corner to give Brad Foster precisely zero chance of preventing the visitors from doubling their lead.

Suto came close with a couple of chances before finally bagging his first goal since April, the Croatian-born Socceroos hopeful sliding into finish after Callum Wright’s shot deflected into the danger area. He’d worked hard to get on the end of a sweeping move involving the lively Klidje and the tireless Josh Mulligan.

County would have been expected to mount some sort of a fightback after the break. But, in all honesty, they never really looked like getting back into the contest.

Klidje, who had spent the second half of last season on loan with Danish club Randers, his entire Easter Road career hanging in the balance after just a few months, was given a hero’s welcome when he was replaced by Nathan Lowe with just over 20 minutes remaining. Miguel Chaiwa and Jacob Devaney also got good minutes in their legs as Hibs eased their way to victory, while Alex Williams was handed his debut and Nicky Cadden continued his injury comeback with a late appearance.

Killie at home on Tuesday night will be a different sort of challenge, of course. As will Aberdeen in Edinburgh on Saturday.

But Hibs went into this game knowing they needed three wins from three before the international break. One down, two to go. The fans who sang, jumped and cheered their way through a fun day out in Dingwall couldn’t have asked for any more than that.

Here’s how Hibs rated in the Highlands: