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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Kilmarnock 0-2 Hibernian | Kilmarnock 0-2 Hibernian |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Ivan Sproule and Steven Fletcher grabbed the goals as a youthful Hibs side edged out 10-man Kilmarnock. | Ivan Sproule and Steven Fletcher grabbed the goals as a youthful Hibs side edged out 10-man Kilmarnock. |
| In a scrappy game which saw few chances created by either side, Kilmarnock came closest with Gary Wales' early shot rebounding off the Hibernian post. | In a scrappy game which saw few chances created by either side, Kilmarnock came closest with Gary Wales' early shot rebounding off the Hibernian post. |
| Dean Shiels wasted two glorious first-half opportunities for Hibs, blazing one over from just six yards. | Dean Shiels wasted two glorious first-half opportunities for Hibs, blazing one over from just six yards. |
| But it was left to substitute Sproule and Fletcher to claim all three points with clinical second-half strikes. | But it was left to substitute Sproule and Fletcher to claim all three points with clinical second-half strikes. |
| In a tepid start to the match, Hibs forced a couple of early corners but the Ayrshire men defended stoutly, with defender Frazer Wright coping well with the aerial presence of Hibs' giant stopper Rob Jones. | In a tepid start to the match, Hibs forced a couple of early corners but the Ayrshire men defended stoutly, with defender Frazer Wright coping well with the aerial presence of Hibs' giant stopper Rob Jones. |
| Killie debutant Momo Sylla was finding space down the left in the opening minutes but his hopeful crosses were easily mopped up by the visiting defence. | Killie debutant Momo Sylla was finding space down the left in the opening minutes but his hopeful crosses were easily mopped up by the visiting defence. |
| Despite Hibs having the lion's share of the early possession it was Kilmarnock who nearly broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. | Despite Hibs having the lion's share of the early possession it was Kilmarnock who nearly broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. |
| Striker Wales hammered a shot from 25 yards against the post with Hibs keeper Andrew McNeil grateful to see the ball rebound straight back into his arms. | Striker Wales hammered a shot from 25 yards against the post with Hibs keeper Andrew McNeil grateful to see the ball rebound straight back into his arms. |
| This spurred Killie on to press for the opener as a much-changed Easter Road side, with five 19-year-olds in the starting line-up, struggled to get their passing game together. | This spurred Killie on to press for the opener as a much-changed Easter Road side, with five 19-year-olds in the starting line-up, struggled to get their passing game together. |
| The game remained scrappy but Hibs midfielder Shiels should have grabbed his ninth goal of the season five minutes before the break. | The game remained scrappy but Hibs midfielder Shiels should have grabbed his ninth goal of the season five minutes before the break. |
| Jones was allowed to latch onto a David Murphy free-kick and head the ball into a packed penalty area. | Jones was allowed to latch onto a David Murphy free-kick and head the ball into a packed penalty area. |
| Shiels pounced as the Killie defence hesitated but lashed his right-footed shot high over the bar from six yards. | Shiels pounced as the Killie defence hesitated but lashed his right-footed shot high over the bar from six yards. |
| Gary Hay's misdirected back-header to keeper Alan Combe nearly cost Killie dearly on the stroke of half-time but Shiels again scooped the ball over the onrushing Combe. | Gary Hay's misdirected back-header to keeper Alan Combe nearly cost Killie dearly on the stroke of half-time but Shiels again scooped the ball over the onrushing Combe. |
| Hibs' boss John Collins made two changes to his inexperienced side at half-time, teenage striker Ross Campbell making way for Guillaume Beuzelin and Sproule replacing Kevin Thomson. | Hibs' boss John Collins made two changes to his inexperienced side at half-time, teenage striker Ross Campbell making way for Guillaume Beuzelin and Sproule replacing Kevin Thomson. |
| The substitutions paid off almost instantly with Sproule firing Hibs into the lead after 51 minutes. | The substitutions paid off almost instantly with Sproule firing Hibs into the lead after 51 minutes. |
| After a fluid four-man move down the left Beuzelin laid the ball off to the little Irish winger 20 yards out and, as the home defence backed off, he rifled a shot high beyond the flailing Combe. | |
| Kilmarnock became increasingly ragged as Hibs' confidence grew and Fletcher almost doubled the lead minutes later, heading just wide from a Lewis Stevenson cross with Combe stranded in no-man's land. | Kilmarnock became increasingly ragged as Hibs' confidence grew and Fletcher almost doubled the lead minutes later, heading just wide from a Lewis Stevenson cross with Combe stranded in no-man's land. |
| Sproule's direct running down the right flank continued to create havoc in the Killie defence and he forced Combe into a good save on the hour mark, Fletcher slamming the rebound over. | Sproule's direct running down the right flank continued to create havoc in the Killie defence and he forced Combe into a good save on the hour mark, Fletcher slamming the rebound over. |
| Stephen Whittaker came on for Shiels as Hibs attempted to consolidate control of the midfield. | Stephen Whittaker came on for Shiels as Hibs attempted to consolidate control of the midfield. |
| Killie were dramatically reduced to 10 men with 15 minutes to go when Wales picked up a second yellow card, catching Whittaker with a mistimed lunge. | Killie were dramatically reduced to 10 men with 15 minutes to go when Wales picked up a second yellow card, catching Whittaker with a mistimed lunge. |
| And Fletcher sealed the win for Hibs with a cool finish three minutes from time after Stevenson's mazy run down the left. | And Fletcher sealed the win for Hibs with a cool finish three minutes from time after Stevenson's mazy run down the left. |
| The result gave Hibernian their first win at Rugby Park for three years and brought them within a point of fourth-placed Hearts in the SPL table. | |
| Kilmarnock: Combe, Grant Murray, Hay, Frazer Wright, Ford, Fowler, Naismith, Johnston (Leven 79), Syila (Stephen Murray 65), Invincibile (Nish 52), Wales.Subs Not Used: Smith, Dodds, Adams, Campbell. | Kilmarnock: Combe, Grant Murray, Hay, Frazer Wright, Ford, Fowler, Naismith, Johnston (Leven 79), Syila (Stephen Murray 65), Invincibile (Nish 52), Wales.Subs Not Used: Smith, Dodds, Adams, Campbell. |
| Sent Off: Wales (75). | Sent Off: Wales (75). |
| Booked: Naismith, Wales, Nish. | Booked: Naismith, Wales, Nish. |
| Hibernian: McNeil, McCann, Murphy, Jones, Fletcher, Campbell (Beuzelin 46), Scott Brown, Thomson (Sproule 46), Hogg, Shiels (Whittaker 66), Stevenson.Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Martis, Glass, Benjelloun. | Hibernian: McNeil, McCann, Murphy, Jones, Fletcher, Campbell (Beuzelin 46), Scott Brown, Thomson (Sproule 46), Hogg, Shiels (Whittaker 66), Stevenson.Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Martis, Glass, Benjelloun. |
| Booked: Jones, Murphy, Stevenson, Scott Brown, McCann. | Booked: Jones, Murphy, Stevenson, Scott Brown, McCann. |
| Goals: Sproule 51, Fletcher 87. | Goals: Sproule 51, Fletcher 87. |
| Att: 4,963. | Att: 4,963. |
| Ref: C Richmond (Scotland). | Ref: C Richmond (Scotland). |