The Hibees impressed throughout and put the game to bed in the opening half-hour of Lee Johnson’s first competitive game in charge with a blistering first half performance.
Christian Doidge left with the match ball under his arm after notching a hat-trick, whilst Elias Melkersen and Josh Campbell were also on target during an incredible opening 45 minutes.
Goalkeeper David Marshall was given the captain’s armband for this afternoon’s contest against Danny Lennon’s men.
The former Scotland goalkeeper was one of two players making their Easter Road debuts from the start, alongside midfielder Nohan Kenneh.
Fellow new recruits Lewis Miller, Kyle McClelland and Aiden McGeady settled for a place on the bench whilst Momodou Bojang, Elie Youan and Jair Tavares were unavailable due to their work permit issues.
We lined up in a very attack-minded 4-3-3 formation as we set about taking the game to our opponents in the Leith sunshine.
Campbell carved out the first shooting opportunity of the afternoon as he found a pocket of space on the edge of the Clyde box, before dragging his effort wide of goal.
The visitors were struggling to retain any meaningful possession as wave-after-wave of attacks came from the men in green, with Doidge almost finding the target with a header from Lewis Stevenson’s pinpoint delivery.
A goal was coming, and it duly arrived in the 15th minute when Melkersen’s cross from the right was turned in at the back post by Doidge.
Eight minutes later we made it 2-0 as Campbell did brilliantly to win possession just outside the Clyde penalty area before laying off to Melkersen and the Norwegian did the rest. He side-stepped Brian McLean before curling a low finish into the far corner of the net beyond Neil Parry.
We kept the pressure on the Clyde goal and on 27 minutes added a third goal. Jake Doyle-Hayes produced a wonderful run before threading a pass into the path of Doidge and the Welshman finished clinically - dinking his shot over Parry for his second and Hibs' third of the match.
Doidge completed his hat-trick 40 seconds later when he swept Chris Cadden’s low cross from the right high into the Clyde net.
At the other end, Ross Cunningham had Clyde’s first effort on goal from a free kick on the edge of our box. Unfortunately for the visitors, the strike was high over Marshall’s crossbar.
Four minutes before the break we grabbed a deserved fifth goal when Campbell’s angled drive found the back of the Clyde net despite the best efforts of Peter Grant to keep it out.
The visiting defender got the last touch before it crossed the line however it would be harsh to take the goal from Campbell.
Kyle McClelland came on to make his Hibs debut at half-time replacing Rocky Bushiri at centre back. He was shortly joined on the pitch by Joe Newell, alongside Lewis Miller and Aiden McGeady who also made their first appearances in Hibernian green and white.
Lennon too made several changes to his side and the glut of substitutions from both teams disrupted the fluidity of the game, although we continued to be the likelier side to score next.
On 64 minutes tenacious play from Kenneh enabled Melkersen to go through on goal, however with time and space he rushed his effort and sliced his shot wide of Parry’s near post.
We tried hard to add to our goal tally in the second half but just could not find that elusive sixth goal our play more than merited.
We certainly had opportunities with Melkersen heading just wide from Cadden’s cross, Porteous heading just over following a corner kick and substitute Joe Newell dragging a shot from 20 yards wide of goal.
In the final 15 minutes, Dylan Tait replaced Nohan Kenneh to make his Hibernian FC debut.
In the end all the damage was done in the opening 45 minutes as we opened the new campaign with a fine victory in the summer sunshine at Easter Road.
Next up for Johnson’s men is an away trip to face Falkirk on Tuesday evening, again in the Premier Sports Cup.
Hibernian: Marshall, Porteous, Kenneh (Tait 76’), Doyle-Hayes (McGeady 58’), Doidge (Newell 58’), Cadden, Steenson, Henderson, Melkersen, Campbell (Miller 58’), Bushiri (McClelland 46’). Substitutes not used: Dabrowski, Hauge, Delferriere, Blaney.
Clyde: Parry, Lyon, Grant (Cameron 73’), McLean (Scullion 73’), Grant, Duthie, Gomis, Cunningham (McDonald 67’), Roberts (Allan 46’), Rodden, Cuddihy (Kennedy 67’). Substitutes not used: Bradley-Hurst, Cassidy, Ross, Hendji.
Referee: Craig Napier.
Attendance: 6,834.
