A terrific defensive display from the home side, with McPake and Hanlon being particularly impressive, ensured that there will only be one cup final for Kilmarnock this year. Hibs got the only goal of the game after 14 minutes, and at that point of the game they were worth the lead, but despite Killie dominating from there on in, we couldn't break through a massive green wall.
A new look Hibs started well, and stretched the visitors from the off. Soares looked good on the right, Kujabi and Wotherspoon harried down the left, and from an early Wotherspoon corner, O'Connor headed into the net, but had barged his way in illegally to do it. Hibs goal was only delayed however, and from a Soares cross from the right, Doyle's volley was deflected past Bell to put Hibs ahead.
Kilmarnock then started pushing forward, and Heffernan was unlucky when a bullet header from a Racchi cross went the wrong side of Stack's left hand post with the keeper rooted to the spot. Up to half time, and indeed for the rest of the game, it was Kilmarnock who were the attacking side as they tried to claw Hibs lead back, but the home side hung on tenaciously.
Racchi had a shot turned round the post by Stack at full stretch, Heffernan had a couple of shots well saved, and Shiels had a lob go wide when a drive may have been the better option. It was the Hibs defence though that did most of the work in keeping Kilmarnock at bay. Dayton kept trying down the right but seldom got the better of the impressive Kujabi, and when he did, the central defence got their bodies in front of the ball. Ben Gordon was having no more success down the left, and Garry Hay's probing passes through the centre were similarly smothered.
Bell was occasionally brought into action, and did well to turn a Doyle shot out for a corner when the Hibs striker only had the keeper to beat, but it was Stack who was much the busier last line of defence. It was a pity that Kilmarnock hadn't brought the sink up from the Rugby Park kitchen, because that was the only thing they didn't throw at Hibs in the final fifteen minutes. Dieter Van Tornhout was brought on for the last 20 minutes, looked strong and lively, but he also couldn't assist in breaking down a resolute Hibs defence.
Kenny Shiels was disappointed in the result but not the performance, said that "we take it on the chin", and was immediately looking forward to East End Park on Tuesday, where we get the chance of revenge on Jim McIntyre's Dunfermline side for that recent defeat at Rugby Park. Listen to Kenny, and new man Michael Nelson, at www.kicktalk.co.uk.
Hibs: Stack, Doherty, Kujabi, Hanlon, McPake, Stevenson, Wotherspoon (Scott), Osbourne, O'Connor (Sproule), Doyle (O'Donovan), Soares
Kilmarnock: Bell, Gordon, Hay (Silva), Fowler, Pascali, Nelson, Shiels, Kelly, Heffernan, Dayton (Van Tornhout), Racchi
Referee: Iain Brines
