GIVEN what had gone before, and not to mention Hibernian’s long-standing fragile relationship when it comes to all things of a cup variety, anyone down Leith way could have been forgiven for feeling just a little tense ahead of this League Cup second round meeting with Stranraer.
Just 24 hours earlier Ladbrokes Premiership sides Dundee, Partick Thistle and Hamilton Accies all went out to lower league opposition, while Motherwell and Hearts were both made to sweat by East Fife and Forfar, respectively. With that backdrop painting a troublesome picture for a Hibs team that has only won a single game so far in the Championship, simply getting the job done and avoiding their name being added to the scalp list was surely all that was being asked prior to kick-off.
In that respect, it was objective complete for Alan Stubbs and his team in this 1-0 victory, ensuring they join the likes of Falkirk, Livingston, Raith Rovers, Morton, Dunfermline and Rangers in the non top-flight contingent of today’s third round draw. But they were more than made to work for it.
In front of a modest crowd of 5224, including a Jolly Boys’ Outing bus load up from Wigtownshire, the Easter Road club struggled to assert their dominance in a tame and fragmented first half performance, only for the door to the Stranraer defence to eventually be unlocked by Scott Rumsby who turned the ball into his own net nine minutes after the restart.
Stubbs handed a debut to new boy Darren McGregor following his move to the capital earlier in the week, with the 30-year-old taking his place at right-back. It would be an encouraging and typically astute performance from him, despite the defender not being overly tested in this low-key affair.
Having said that, Stranraer, featuring former Hibee Paul Cairney in their midfield, were not without their chances. Well, chance. Their moment arrived midway through the first half in the form of a smashing volley from Craig Malcolm 12 yards out that Mark Oxley acrobatically tipped over the bar.
As one would expect, it was Hibs that had the majority of the few opportunities that were carved out. Fraser Fyvie brought an early save out of Conor Brennan with a high shot to the back post, Jason Cummings skittered an effort just by the near stick following a driving run along the edge of the area before the pair combined well to allow the former to scud an 18-yard effort off the cross bar.
Fyvie would have a key role in the opener when it did eventually arrive. The former Aberdeen man did well to break for the byeline and send in a teasing low ball across the face of goal.The temptation to stick out a leg was too much for centre-half Rumsby, who sent the ball shooting into the bottom corner at the near post.
HIBERNIAN: Oxley; McGregor, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson; McGeouch, Fyvie (Carmichael 62), Henderson, McGinn; Boyle, Cummings (Keatings 84)
Booked:
Scorers: Rumsby 54 (OG)
STRANRAER: Brennan; Robertson, Rumsby, Mair, Pettigrew; McGuigan, Thomson (Aitken 67), Bell, Stirling, Cairney (Longworth 71); Malcolm (McGill 77)
Booked: Robertson
Scorers:
Referee: Kevin Clancy
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