Shaun Maloney hails Elias Melkersen performance after 19-year-old fires Hibs to Hampden

Shaun Maloney was full of praise for teenage striker Elias Melkersen after the 19-year-old’s first-half double booked Hibs another trip to Hampden as they saw off ten-man Motherwell in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

Shaun Maloney congratulates Elias Melkersen after his matchwinning performance

The Norwegian forward headed Hibs in front on 15 minutes and added a second 20 minutes later as he impressed in his first start for the Easter Road side.

Melkersen nearly grabbed hat-trick in front of 3,361 travelling fans at Fir Park and his manager was effusive in his praise for the January signing.

"We couldn't really throw him in but over the last six weeks, he has to take huge credit for what he's done. Some of the coaches have worked really hard with him, and he’s worked so hard to get to a position where he can perform like that,” he said afterwards.

"It's just amazing – it's his first start, and he can take every bit of credit and be really proud with what he did today, two brilliant goals."

Asked if there was more to come from the former Bodø/Glimt youngster, the Hibs boss said: “He's set a fairly high bar but they were different types of goals, and he had that other chance in the first half.

"He's just worked extremely hard. He's got a great mentality, he understood the process coming in, and he earned that start.

"He was very, very excited and rightly so, he's worked extremely hard to have moments like that."

With Kevin Nisbet facing up to nine months on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury in the goalless draw with Celtic, Maloney will be leaning on Melkersen and Doidge in the final third.

"Christian has had a really tough time with injury but I'm going to have to rely on him as well until the end of the season but with those two as nines, it's really positive.”

Hibs secured a sixth consecutive Hampden trip but Maloney isn’t looking too far ahead.

"I've got a staff member that's won the Scottish Cup, so I hope we have memories that can match his. That would be incredible.

"But we can't stand still, we have Aberdeen next week, we've got to fight for the top six. I'm really happy but it's not the time to stand still."

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