HIBS' hopes of an unlikely treble remain on course after they booked a place in the Scottish League Cup final with this gutsy 2-1 victory against St Johnstone at the home of their capital rivals Hearts. A fine low strike from the left foot of John McGinn took Alan Stubbs' side through to their third national final in five years, after a Joe Shaughnessy header had cancelled out a controversial Jason Cummings penalty in the space of five hectic first-half minutes.
National team manager Gordon Strachan took his seat in a capacity crowd at Tynecastle, with an undermanned St Johnstone contingent making a point about their snub about the ticket row which has rumbled on these past few days. "SPF Hell for Small Clubs," a banner read.
There was good news for St Johnstone when the teams were read out. Not only did injured trio Chris Millar, Murray Davidson and Dave McKay all report fit, but Hibs on-loan striker Anthony Stokes missed out with a back strain. True to his word, Rangers target Michael O'Halloran started up front for St Johnstone.
Hibs had the wind at their backs as the game began and started on the front foot. John McGinn's volley flew wide following a partial McKay clearance, then a bouncing Jason Cummings effort was headed clear by Steven Anderson.
The breakthrough came just before the half hour mark, in controversial circumstances. Liam Henderson burst into the box, collided with Chris Millar, and crashed to the ground. St Johnstone claimed vehemently that their man hadn't initiated the contact - Steven MacLean was yellow carded by his namesake for protesting - but Cummings sent Alan Mannus the wrong way and Hibs had a lead.
This St Johnstone team are made of stern stuff, though, regardless of which personnel seems to slot in. Just four minutes later, David Wotherspoon levered a cross back into the box following a corner and Shaughnessy, a young Irishman who used to be on the books at Aberdeen, timed his leap magnificently to plant a header in Oxley's top corner.
Tam Scobbie entered the fray for Easton at half time, as both defences made last ditch interventions to avovid any further additions to the scoreline. Shaughnessy timed a tackle perfectly on Cummings at one end, while Oxley slapped a ball clear from the forehead of Murray Davidson at the other. While Hibs fans staged a banner protest against the SPFL's proposals on facial recognition, Simon Lappin rattled in a wind assisted free kick which flicked off the top of the bar.
Hibs were turning the screw now, Cummings close to restoring Hibs' lead but his finish was too close to Mannus, then Chris Dagnall's low shot on the turn striking the foot of the post.
It was anyone's game now, with a Steven Anderson drive deflecting off a forest of legs, and Henderson rolling a shot past on the counter attack. The crucial second belonged to Hibs, though, with McGinn reacting to a loose ball quickest and rattling a low left foot shot into the bottom corner from all of 20 yards.
The introduction of John Sutton for Wotherspoon was the last throw of the dice but Dagnall and McGinn could have put Hibs on easy street. MacLean was just out of reach of a low Liam Craig centre, Shaughnessy saw another header palmed away by Oxley before O'Halloran fired over. This was to be Hibs day, though, their players marking it by lapping up the applause of three side of the home of their greatest rivals.
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Hibernian 2
Cummings 29 pen, McGinn 75
St Johnstone 1
Shaughnessy 33
Hibs: Oxley; Gray, Fontaine, Hanlon, Stevenson; McGeouch, Fyvie, McGinn; Henderson (McGregor 88); Cummings (Keatings 87), Dagnall.
Subs not used: Virtanen, Bartley, Boyle, McGregor, Gunnarsson, Thomson
St Johnstone: Mannus; Mackay, Anderson, Shaughnessy, Easton (Scobbie 45); Wotherspoon (Sutton 77), Davidson, Millar (Craig 72), Lappin; O'Halloran, MacLean.
Subs not used: Clark, Sutton, Cummins, Fisher, Craig, Thomson
Bookings: St Johnstone: MacLean 29, Lappin 70
Referee: S McLean
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