A hat-trick from Eilidh Adams, as well as goals from Rosie Livingstone, Shannon McGregor, Jorian Baucom and Abbie Ferguson overpowered the visitors in a great victory at Meadowbank.
Hamilton got the match underway, but it was Hibernian who had the first opportunity of the match. Two minutes in and Lauren Doran-Barr drove into acres of space in the middle of the pitch, and played it to Rosie Livingstone who hit the ball from range but couldn’t find the target.
Hibs continued probing the opposition defence early on, Tegan Bowie trickily skipped past a defender to swing the ball into the six yard box, Livingstone was quick off her mark but the ball had bounced awkwardly and her shot cleared the bar.
After having the vast majority of the chances, Hamilton’s Josi Giard caused a heart-in-mouth moment for the Hibees after she unexpectedly tried to lob Nina Wilson from 25 yards out, forcing the keeper to very awkwardly tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
However, Hibs reacted well to the danger and Eilidh Adams fired her side in front 12 minutes into the match. Once again the ball was whipped into the Hamilton box and after a skewed clearance from the defence, the ball landed at the feet of Adams, who knew exactly where the goal was and rifled the ball past Chloe Nicholson.
Just two minutes later Hibs should have doubled their lead. Shannon McGregor got on the end of Naomi Powell’s corner, but a goal line clearance from a defender and a good double save from the keeper kept Hamilton in the match.
With 25 minutes on the clock it was clear that Hamilton were struggling to keep up with the pace of the match. Poppy Lawson rattled the crossbar with an outrageous effort from range. Shortly after, Doran-Barr was unable to keep her shot down as she found herself free at the back post after a ball floated into the box from Bowie.
In the 37th minute Hibs, and Adams, had a well-deserved second of the afternoon. McGregor took the ball down the line with pace and cut the ball back to Adams who was waiting in the penalty area. With her first touch she smashed the ball into the top right corner and doubled Hibernian’s lead.
The Hibees didn’t stop there, however. After intercepting a pass into the box, a Hamilton defender failed to clear the danger. Livingstone pounced at the opportunity and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, putting Hibs out of sight in her first start of the season.
Having enjoyed the majority of the possession and chances Hibernian went into the break with a three-goal lead.
Hamilton hadn’t given up yet, and started the second-half quickly with multiple corners in a row. They were quickly rewarded for their efforts as Abbi McDonald headed the ball past Wilson in the six-yard box.
On the hour mark Hibs regained their three goal lead. Livingstone was played through on goal with a heavy pass but did brilliantly to beat the goalkeeper to the ball. She rounded Nicolson but the angle was too tight to shoot, so she calmly laid the ball into the path of Adams, who tapped the ball into the net to complete her hat-trick.
Just a minute later, Doran-Barr again came close at the back post, but she couldn’t get the right connection on what was a difficult ball into the box from Livingstone.
Livingstone kept probing down the left-hand side and her efforts paid off. Her cross into the box was parried into the air by Nicolson, but only as far as McGregor - who looped her header over the defence and into the back of the net in the 68th minute to give Hibs a 5-1 lead.
After a slow start to the second-half, Hibs had a spring in their step once more. After Powell played her corner short, the ball was drilled across the penalty area to Jorian Baucom, who excellently beat the keeper with her effort to net Hibernian’s sixth in the 78th minute.
This Hibernian side were on fire and soon had another, Tweedie headed the ball home after a great ball into the box to make it seven for Hibs.
Just as quickly as the seventh goal had gone in, Hibs had an eighth in the 82nd minute. Livingstone hunted down the opposition players from kick-off, took the ball down the line before finding the head of Baucom with a cross that was just as good as the finish.
Unbelievably, in the 85th minute Hamilton were lucky Hibs didn’t have a ninth, and Baucom didn’t have a seven minute hat-trick. Tweedie mishit the ball in the penalty area, but Nicolson parried it into the path of Baucom. The Hamiton keeper pulled off a great save to get across her goal in time and deflect Baucom’s off of her post.
With no additional minutes, the referee blew for full-time and Hibernian ran out 8-1 winners with an incredible performance against Hamilton.
