Braces from Dean Cleland and Josh Landers were enough to seal three points and keep the Hibees in slight contention to progress in the competition.
Guillaume Beuzelin’s young side was bolstered with the First Team influence of Max Boruc, Allan Delferrière and Riley Harbottle - who all gained valuable minutes.
Our young Hibees started the game well and turned that dominance into the first goal of the game. Just 10 days after his 16th birthday, Dean Cleland sealed off a fantastic piece of play. Delferrière played a pinpoint pass out to Malik Zaid on the left, he skipped past his man before pulling the ball back to Cleland who made no mistake.
Hibs continued to push for a second, but if it wasn’t for Boruc, Partick Thistle would’ve been level. The Polish shot-stopper pulled out a good save to deny the Thistle striker one on one.
Shortly after it was 2-0 and basically a carbon copy of the opener. This time, Robbie Hamilton sprayed the ball out to Josh Landers on the right, the young striker cut the ball back for Cleland, who neatly slotted home.
Landers turned creator to scorer before the end of the first half. Harbottle was fouled mid-bicycle kick while attacking a corner, and Hibs were awarded a penalty. Landers stepped up and coolly placed the ball home.
Just before the half was out, Robbie Hamilton was inches away from making it four. He released a fantastic effort from 25-yards out, but was denied by the fingertips of the goalkeeper.
Hibs started with the same momentum in the second period and Cleland almost had his hat-trick. He was slipped through the back-line, and had an angle to shoot, but instead tried to feed the ball to Landers who was crowded out. The ball did manage to find its way back to Cleland in the box, but he couldn’t find the target.
Midway through the second period Partick found a way back into the game. A low cross from the left-hand-side was tapped in at the back post.
That Thistle hope, though, ended a few moments later. Reuben McAllister whipped an excellent corner into the box, which Landers fired past the ‘keeper.
