Hibs defeated Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-1 in the Highlands to secure their spot in the Scottish Cup Quarterfinals.
The 1,500 traveling fans were in high spirits as they returned down the A9 after the Hibees’ impressive second-half performance, which saw them score three goals.
In a masterful performance for Nick Montgomery’s team, Myziane Maolida, Martin Boyle, and Elie Youan were all on target at the Caledonian Stadium before Aaron Doran netted a late consolation goal with the final kick of the game.
As it happened…
Luke Amos and Eliezer Mayenda made their Club debuts, while Myziane Maolida returned to the starting lineup to lead the line. Nick Montgomery made three changes to the squad that narrowly lost to Celtic in the middle of the week.
The Hibees got off to a fast start in the match, with Mayenda and Martin Boyle looking sharp on either flank. Boyle’s risky cross across the box inside the first five minutes was cleared away to safety, serving as a warning to the hosts.
Five minutes later, Boyle again had a chance to score when he pounced quickly on a misplaced pass from Inverness goalkeeper Mark Ridgers. Boyle managed to get the ball off his feet, but his long-range attempt went over the crossbar.
The player on the edge of the box, Amos, was the next to see the Inverness goal go in, but he was unbalanced and missed the far post with his shot.
Eliezer Mayenda had the only real opportunity of the first forty-five minutes. The forward showed great awareness to cut in from the right-hand side and fire a curling effort towards the far post, but Ridgers got two strong hands to it and parried away to safety.
Joe Newell began to assert his dominance in midfield as the game progressed and showed great vision to pick out Boyle with a pin-point pass. The Australian international took it in his stride and hit it on the half-volley but his effort was blocked and ricocheted out for a corner.
As half-time approached, we began to play with a bit more urgency and ask more questions of the Inverness defence. Jordan Obita did brilliantly to nut-meg his man before whipping in an inviting ball which was well blocked at the front post by James Carragher – son of Jamie Carragher, who watched on from the stands.
The final chance of the half fell to Joe Newell, with the ball landing at the Hibs captain’s feet at the edge of the area. Joe caught it sweetly with the outside of his boot, but his effort curled just wide and the referee brought the opening 45 to a close.
Half Time: Inverness 0 Hibs 0
Monty rang the changes at half-time with Elie Youan and Dylan Levitt introduced for Mayenda and Amos.
The gaffer’s half-time team talk clearly inspire the lads as we came out with much more energy and intensity in the second period, with Youan and Maolida looking dangerous.
On 54 minutes we broke the deadlock – courtesy of Myziane Maolida. Moriah-Welsh did well to win the ball back inside Inverness territory, before finding Levitt who picked out Maolida. The Comoros international got the ball out of his feet with his shot taking a deflection to loop it over Mark Ridgers and into the back of the net.
The goal gave the Hibees confidence and Dylan Levitt nearly added a second moments later. This time it was Maolida who nearly returned the favour, knocking the ball back to Levitt whose side-footed effort produced a smart stop from Ridgers.The hosts had their first real chance of the cup-tie midway through the second half when the ball dropped to substitute Austin Samuels in the penalty area. Fortunately for the Hibees, Samuels fluffed his lines with the ball trickling harmlessly wide.
Hibs then had two chances in as many minutes to double our advantage. The first fell to Youan who showed quick feet to move the ball onto his right before firing straight at Ridgers. Moments later, Boyle pulled a shot narrowly wide of the far post after Moriah-Welsh picked him out on the edge of the area.
The 1,500 Hibs supporters then had their hearts in the mouths when Cammy Kerr got on the end of a cross from the left hand-side. Kerr met it well and headed it back across goal and over David Marshall, with the ball bouncing off the top of the bar and away to safety.
In what arguably the home team’s most dangerous moment of the game, Lewis Miller challenged Cameron Harper, and referee Colin Steven then dismissed calls for a penalty from the crowd.
But with little more than ten minutes remaining, the Hibees struck back, scoring a crucial second goal. Morgan Boyes, the defender for Inverness, failed to save a pass that David Marshall lofted over the top and toward Martin Boyle.
Boyler took advantage of the situation and found himself through on goal. With remarkable poise, he dribbled the ball around Mark Ridgers and slid it into the open goal from a tight angle.
The 90th minute saw Boyle transform from goal scorer to supplier as he selflessly squared the ball in the penalty area for Elie Youan to tap in to seal the victory.The home team had cause for celebration in the fourth minute of extra time. With the final ball of the game, substitute Aaron Doran performed a moment of genius by meeting a deep cross on the volley and curving his shot past David Marshall.
Full time: Inverness 1 Hibernian 3
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