Hibs hit Hamilton for six to turn up heat on Hearts

Posted Sunday, October 07, 2018 by PA

Hibernian turned up the heat on Hearts after moving to within two points of their city rivals at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership as they crushed Hamilton 6-0.

It was 10 years since Accies’ last failed to find the net at Easter Road, but this turned out to be a miserable afternoon in Leith for Martin Canning’s men.

Stevie Mallan scored twice, while strikes from Martin Boyle, Emerson Hyndman, Flo Kamberi and a Matt Kilgallon own goal handed Neil Lennon’s team an handsome victory.

And it means Craig Levein’s Tynecastle table-toppers now head to Ibrox for Sunday’s showdown with Rangers with their Edinburgh neighbours breathing down their necks.

Hamilton stay ninth, but on the evidence of this desperate display look destined for yet another fight for survival.

It was game over by half-time, but how Canning must wish his side had made more of their one big opening 17 minutes in.

Ryan Porteous and Efe Ambrose stood looking at each other as a hopeful Accies punt dropped in between them in the Hibs area. Rakish Bingham was left with just Adam Bogdan to beat, but it was the on-loan Liverpool stopper who came out on top.

With that chance wasted, Lennon’s side reacted without mercy.

The opener came after 24 minutes as David Gray’s cross fell for Vykintas Slivka. The Lithuanian international saw his attempt blocked, but it pin-balled to Boyle, who steadied himself with a touch before ramming the ball high into the net.

Boyle wasted a chance for number two seconds later, while Hyndman also came close a couple of times.

However, Accies goalkeeper Gary Woods stood no chance of saving when Mallan was afforded far too much space on the edge of the area and swept a shot into the top corner with the aid of a deflection.

It was wave after wave of attack and the hosts struck again six minutes before the break. Woods palmed away a hopeful Kamberi effort, but the danger was not over as Boyle turned the ball back for Hyndman to side-foot home.

Hibs dominance unsurprisingly continued after the interval, but Accies at least managed to stem the flow of openings.

It took until the 62nd minute for the hosts to seriously threaten again as Kamerbi’s mesmerising first touch took Kilgallon out the equation, but this time Woods blocked.

However, the keeper could not get anywhere near the fourth after 70 minutes as Mallan again fired home from distance for his ninth of the season.

Kamberi had been desperate to get on the scoresheet and finally managed in stoppage time as he finished off from Daryl Horgan’s sliderule pass.

The Swiss frontman then had a hand in the sixth as his cutback was bundled into the net by the hapless Kilgallon.