Source: Team_Talk
High-flying Hibs ease past Well
The home side began to take control midway through the first half and Anthony Stokes ignored offside appeals to slot home on the counter-attack four minutes before the break.[LNB]Another Stokes shot found the net via a deflection off a Motherwell player in the 55th minute and Hibs put on a stylish display without further reward.[LNB]Hibs are now unbeaten in nine games and can take even more confidence from a convincing display against a side whose only other SPL defeat this season came against John Hughes' men.[LNB]Hibernian shrugged off an early blow when Graham Stack failed a fitness test on his back injury, with Yves Ma-Kalambay coming in.[LNB]Both teams lined up in otherwise unchanged 4-4-2 formations and produced some neat passing in the opening quarter without an end result.[LNB]Hibs striker Derek Riordan shot straight at John Ruddy from 20 yards and Ma-Kalambay beat away several near-post corners from Tom Hateley.[LNB]The hosts had a decent chance midway through the half when a cross from right-back David Wotherspoon picked out Stokes in space 14 yards out, but the striker mis-hit his first-time volley.[LNB]Hibs stepped up a gear and Nish headed over Riordan's corner amid a crowded penalty box before Ruddy acrobatically tipped over John Rankin's 25-yard curler following a positive run by Ian Murray.[LNB]The Motherwell goalkeeper soon backtracked to push over Riordan's attempted chip from similar range, before Chris Hogg blocked brilliantly from Jutkiewicz after the on-loan Everton striker had jinked away from Sol Bamba in the box.[LNB]Motherwell right-winger Jamie Murphy was cutting inside well but Hogg and Bamba were always on hand to snuff out the danger and Hibs continued to improve.[LNB]Zemmama's pass to Riordan took out Stevie Hammell but the left-back recovered to divert the Scotland striker's shot wide and Nish headed over the resulting corner from a tight angle.[LNB]Hibs took the lead after Ma-Kalambay set up a counter-attack. Riordan lifted the ball over the top for Stokes to run on to and the former Sunderland striker held off Reynolds and shot low past Ruddy from 12 yards.[LNB]Reynolds appealed strongly for offside but his centre-back partner Steven Saunders had played Stokes on.[LNB]Ma-Kalambay then ensured Hibs led at half-time with a brilliant one-handed save to push over Saunders' powerful header from a Forbes free-kick.[LNB]Jim Gannon made a double switch at half-time with Keith Lasley and Jim O'Brien coming on for Sutton and Forbes, with Murphy now playing through the centre.[LNB]O'Brien immediately looked lively but Hibs moved further ahead following patient build-up play when Ruddy was wrong-footed by a Stokes shot which appeared to deflect off a Motherwell player and spin into the net.[LNB]Hibernian's creative players continued to pose problems running at the visitors, with Riordan shooting straight at Ruddy before Merouane Zemmama placed the ball wide after impressive footwork inside the box.[LNB]Murphy was unfortunate to be booked for diving by Iain Brines when he was brought down by a sliding challenge from Bamba inside the box.[LNB]But Hibs remained in control and Stokes went close twice within the space of two minutes. Ruddy pushed a powerful shot past his near post after a poor pass by Reynolds allowed Hibs to break down the right, and the striker then hit the bar with a glancing header from Riordan's corner.[LNB]Riordan limped off with 10 minutes left but the hosts continued to dominate possession, although Motherwell created their best chance in the final minute, only for Jutkiewicz to mis-hit Giles Coke's cutback.[LNB][LNB][LNB]
