IN a madcap, nine-goal 90 minutes Hibernian showed all the style and attacking flair that has made them genuine contenders to win promotion through the play-offs next May and all the defensive frailties that have left them trailing well behind their city rivals Hearts in the race for the Championship title.

Alan Stubbs' side raced into a 3-0 lead before threatening to throw away at least two points during a rip-roaring second half in which Dominque Malonga celebrated his return from African Cup of Nations duty with Congo by completing a top-class hat-trick.

Dumbarton manager Ian Murray had selected a three-man central defence with a combined age of 102 to curb the enthusiasm of Alan Stubbs' young Hibernian side. But Lee Mair and Mark McLaughlin - aged 33 and 38 respectively - offered stubborn, if stiff-legged, resistance for just 23 minutes. Then Scott Allan raced away from 31-year-old Andy Graham to open the scoring and the floodgates.

Two more goals followed in seven minutes. Malonga played a crisp one-two with Liam Craig before chipping Danny Rogers. Then the precocious Allan skipped past Mitch Megginson and fired over a low cross that Paul Hanlon tapped in.

At half-time, Murray replaced McLaughlin and Scott Taggart with Kieran Macdonald and Chris Kane while switching to a 4-4-2 formation. Within 15 minutes Hibernian's advantage had been cut to one goal.

First, Colin Nish, an ex-Hibs player, headed down for Kane to blast a volley past keeper Mark Oxley before Graham headed a Mark Gilhaney cross into the top corner.

Hibernian's reply was immediate and impressive, Malonga moving on to a Jason Cummings lay-back to blast in a 30-yard screamer to make it 4-2.

Still Dumbarton battled on, and after 72 minutes Garry Fleming fired the seventh goal of the game with a low drive.

That set up a frantic finish, but Hibs had the final word as sub Sam Stanton raced through to net their fifth before, five minutes from time, Malonga completed his hat-trick with a cool finish.

Dumbarton manager Murray conceded that at half-time it had been "3-0 going on 33-0" but added: "We made the changes and gave it a real go."

Stubbs, meanwhile, refused to dwell on his side's defensive failings. He said: "We were outstanding. For 30 minutes it was the best we've played this season. That was some game."