THE prospect of Hibs and Rangers meeting in the Scottish Cup final was already an enticing one given the tussles between the two clubs in the Ladbrokes Championship in the last two seasons and the enmity which has grown between them during that time.

This match at Easter Road last night, won 3-2 by Hibs thanks to first half goals from Jason Cummings and Anthony Stokes and a Niklas Gunnarsson strike in the second, simply whetted the appetite for the encounter at Hampden on May 21 even further.

The Edinburgh and Glasgow clubs have now met four times in the league in the 2015/16 campaign and both teams have two wins apiece to their name. On their day, then, either club is clearly capable of victory.

Rangers thrashed Hibs 6-2 in the opening game of the season in Edinburgh in the first round of the Challenge Cup back in July. But the side fielded by the capital club that day was unrecognisable to the one which played last night.

It could be argued that Hibs had more to play for than their opponents here. They can, after all, still leapfrog Falkirk into second place in the Championship and so avoid the first two games in the Premiership play-offs. Rangers, meanwhile, had nothing to play for but pride.

Alan Stubbs had hinted that his Hibs team wouldn’t form a guard of honour for their opponents before kick-off despite it being the first league game since Warburton’s side had clinched the second tier title. Sure enough, nothing materialised.

If the visitors were incensed by what many in the game would consider to be a lack of respect then it failed to show. Their momentous win over Celtic a few days before ensured the packed away stand was in full party mode.

Rangers made just one change to the starting line-up which had taken to the field in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Michael O’Halloran, the former St. Johnstone player who was cup tied on Sunday, came in for Dean Shiels on the right.

That change arguably strengthened the Rangers team. However, it was Hibs who edged in front in just the fifth minute. There was a breakdown in communication between James Tavernier and Danny Wilson at a throw-in on the right and Jason Cummings took advantage, stole possession in the penalty area and drilled the ball beyond Wes Foderingham.

Anthony Stokes, the on-loan Celtic forward, put his side further in front in the 19th minute. On this occasion, Foderingham was the Rangers player at fault. He fumbled an innocuous-looking cross into his own net. The scorer could scarcely believe he had netted.

Stubbs had relegated Conrad Logan, the goalkeeper who had been the hero in the penalty shoot-out triumph over Dundee United in the cup semi-final at Hampden on Saturday, to the bench. Mark Oxley, who had been suspended at the weekend, came back in.

Logan’s heroics, though, weren’t forgotten by the Hibs supporters. He received a standing ovation as he left the field before kick-off and then as he warmed up with the other substitutes during the second half.

The decision to drop the portly Irishman looked a decidedly bad one when the home team conceded four minutes before half-time. Oxley failed to deal with a James Tavernier chip and Holt slid in to net from close range.

It was the ideal time for Rangers to pull a goal back. They certainly started the second half the brighter of the two teams and pushed hard for an equaliser. But it was Hibs who built on their lead.

A John McGinnn corner in the 58th was headed back across goal by Paul Hanlon to the feet of Niklas Gunnnarsson, who had come in for Liam Henderson, and the defender rifled a powerful shot high into the roof of the net to the delight of the majority of the crowd.

That setback prompted Mark Warburton to make a double substitution just three minutes later. Dom Ball made way for Gedion Zelalem and O’Halloran, who had struggled to make an impact, came off for Billy King. Shiels also took over from Miller later on. But Foderingham did well to palm a Stokes free-kick past the post at full stretch in the 71st minute.

Barrie McKay, the Man of the Match against Celtic and once again one of Rangers most impressive players, pulled one back with a shot which spun beyond Oxley and into the top right corner with just five minutes remaining to give the Ibrox club hope they could salvage a draw.

They were unable to. Holt had a shot saved by Oxley in injury-time. None of the midfielder’s team mates could do any better. McKay was booked for shoving Fraser Fyvie in frustration in the closing stages of an excellent match. Gifting their hosts two soft early goals ultimately proved their undoing.

It will, of course, be a different game in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden next month. But Hibs will take confidence from their second triumph over Rangers. If it is as entertaining as this then we are in for a treat.

Hibs: Oxley, Gray, Hanlon, Bartley, Fyvie, Stevenson, McGinn, McGregor, Gunnarsson, Stokes (Dagnall, 90), Cummings (Keatings, 71). Substitutes not used: Logan, Henderson, Boyle, Thomson.

Booked: Cummings, Fyvie.

Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Kiernan, Wallace, Ball (Zelalem, 61), Miller (Shiels, 77), Halliday, McKay, Holt, Wilson, O’Halloran (King, 61). Substitutes not used: McCrorie, Law, Clark, Burt.

Booked: Miller, Halliday, McKay.

Referee: Kevin Clancy.