This was the kind of performance that Hibernian supporters had been expecting to see most weeks in the Championship.

A convincing 4-0 victory stretched the Leith side's uneaten run to five games and propelled them back into the promotion play-off places for the first time since the opening week of the season. The Easter Road club's frustrating start to life in the second tier has been amplified by the sight of city rivals Hearts effortlessly vanquishing their opponents on their way to creating a nine-point lead at the summit and a 14-point advantage over Hibs.

But head coach Alan Stubbs firmly believes they are heading in the right direction after seeing Dominique Malonga, Danny Handling, Dylan McGeouch and Paul Heffernan find the net.

"It's a good run of form to take into the derby, to be five games unbeaten against anyone is good form," he said. Even Malonga's tantrum at being substituted did not spoil Stubbs' day, the forward throwing away his jersey.

Stubbs added: "I spoke to him and can guarantee it won't happen again. I'm glad he's disappointed, I don't know of any player that comes off being happy. But the team's the most important thing."

The last time these sides met on the opening day of the season, Hibs' 2-1 victory produced a freak footballing moment that has since amassed over 2.1 million views on YouTube after Easter Road goalkeeper Mark Oxley beat his opposite number Darren Jamieson with a punt from his own box.

And Jamieson's Hibs jinx struck again after 31 minutes when his spill gifted Malonga a simple goal. Under pressure from Handling, the keeper dropped David Gray's cross and Malonga pounced to lift a high shot into the net from six yards.

The Leith outfit doubled their lead on 53 minutes when Handling raced on to Jason Cumming's deft touch to bury a right-footed effort. McGeouch added a penalty in the 70th minute after Cummings was felled by Craig Sives before substitute Paul Heffernan completed the rout with a neat finish at the front post. Livingston manager John McGlynn, whose side are now bottom of the table on goal difference, said: "We didn't deserve an awful lot, but maybe 4-0 is a bit harsh."