IT is hard to tell, looking at this result in isolation, how much has changed at Easter Road since Terry Butcher was parachuted in to breathe life into forlorn performances.

After all, if there was one thing that Pat Fenlon's Hibernian side knew how to do, it was win William Hill Scottish Cup ties. Well, until the final at least.

A few ghosts were laid to rest, though, on Saturday. It was Butcher's first win in six attempts at Global Energy Stadium, and his new club's first victory in seven over Ross County. Hibs' run of five matches without success was also stamped - not too prettily - into Highland turf. This was the ugliest of victories, an unpalatable feast of grisly long balls and monstrous misplaced passes.

His side's dullness in attack - despite the result - will surely not dispel any envious glances Butcher might sneak at the front four he left behind at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. While this nouveau-Hibs is still a work in progress, the jazzy, free-style interchanges of his old attack make their Edinburgh counterparts look like confused strangers.

While Lewis Stevenson, Paul Cairney and the admittedly impressive Liam Craig showed glimpses of being able to fuse their creativity into something charming, James Collins resembles less a footballer than some slumberous golem, his cracked feet of clay dragging grass as he lurches blindly, banging into defenders, turning costively into always-occupied space. Billy Mackay, he is not.

Still, when the crowd were at last put out of their misery, Butcher was delighted, punching the air and conducting the away support in his customary series of cheers at the final whistle. It was attention that the travelling troupe deserved: they made up nearly half of the crowd - and all of the singing - in what was ostensibly an away game.

Afterwards, Craig - who tried in vain to brighten the afternoon with some colourful passing - praised the contribution of his new manager. "He's brought a freshness to it," Craig said. "He's given different team talks. He's made it quite light-hearted.

"A lot of people thought he might come in and start shouting at the players and maybe give them a kick up the backside, but no, it's been refreshing and the boys have definitely responded in the last two games."

The goal that settled it came from a rare piece of invention: Craig it was, naturally, who conjured the opportunity with a disguised sideways pass that hoodwinked the County defence. Daniel Handling had time, and the composure, to drill the ball low beyond Mark Brown.

"It was a great finish," admitted Craig. "He's got a great future ahead of him. He's always on the training park wanting to learn and wanting to improve. It's great to see him, when he gets into those areas, being so composed."

County flickered at times, most effectively when creating two chances in the space of five minutes shortly after half-time. But Stuart Kettlewell's shot was deflected behind for a corner, and Kevin Luckassen could only glance his header off the outside of the post after a fizzing cross by Graham Carey.

Then, controversy. Cairney had slalomed through the visitors' defence and was about to score a magical solo effort, when he tried to take a touch round the goalkeeper Mark Brown and was adjudged to have dived and received a second yellow card. He protested at length after the decision - precisely what he was booked for in the first half - and trudged off the field disconsolate.

"He was just frustrated, obviously," said Craig. "In that situation I think any player's going to claim for a penalty. I was just telling him: don't make it worse for yourself because [the referee] is not going to change his mind now. He's disappointed that there was contact and he's gone off.

"The referee, I've asked him about it, he said he thought he was on the way down before there was any contact. I've seen it back, I didn't think it was a penalty but I didn't think it was a booking either.

"It probably should have been a corner, to be fair. But we respect the referee's decision - he was good enough to explain to me and one or two of the other boys who asked him what he felt had really happened."

A strange incident occurred at the end of the match - Ross Caldwell had come on in the 80th minute to add some energy to the Hibs frontline. Then, in injury time, he was hauled off and reacted angrily to an attempt by his manager to explain the decision. Butcher, bizarrely, said the player had been exhausted after his 13-or-so minutes of harrying, before citing the need for the team to all pull in the same direction. It was a sentiment later echoed by Craig.

"When you're winning it's easy to be a footballer, easy to be a manager, easy to be a fan, to be honest," he said. "The good thing is we have stuck together. The boys have responded in the right manner with two clean sheets from two away games."