Although it was Halloween, Thornton Hibs had no guisers in their team as they treated the home supporters with five goals to ease – eventually – into the third round of the Scottish Cup.
The opening goal came in the tenth minute and it was worthy of the final of the competition never mind the second round. Adam Doig cut the ball back to Gary Thomson and the former Raith midfielder fairly skelped the ball home from 25 yards.
That was the only goal of the first-half and although the Hibs had enjoyed the bulk of possession, Forres had their moments and looked as if they might nick an equaliser on the break.
And so it proved to be seven minutes after the interval. The Hibs won a corner kick but the ball was lost carelessly and less than ten seconds later, it was moved to the other end of the park for Paul Caulfield to level the tie.
There’s a weel kent phrase in football that a team is at it’s most vulnerable just after they’ve scored and this proved to be the case on this occasion as within a minute of the game restarting, Thomas McAllister headed his first goal for the Hibs.
In the 62nd minute, a great pass from Ian Hepburn set up Ross Morgan and although Simon Bremner saved his first attempt, the Hibs’ top scorer followed up to net his tenth goal of the season wearing, aptly, the number ten jersey.
McAllister netted his second and Thornton’s fourth in the 71st minute, following up after John Halley’s strike had come back off the post and his 'reward' for this was to be substituted by Mark Gallagher before the game could kick-off again.
Halley enjoyed better fortune in the 79th minute as he scored the Hibs fifth and final goal. |
