Hibs went seven games unbeaten and move into the Premiership’s top six as a result following a comfortable 3-1 victory over Motherwell.
Hibs enjoyed most of the ball for the opening 20 minutes of the game but there was very little goalmouth action to report.
The hosts were forced into an unfortunate early change however, as influential wing-back Nicky Cadden had to be substituted off for Jordan Obita due to a blow to the nose.
And it proved to be a helpful change in the end as Obita was the man to provide the assist for Martin Boyle’s opener.
Boyle tapped in from close range after Obita’s cross from the left and after a VAR check for offside, the goal was awarded.
The Steelmen were extremely wasteful in possession and that was why they found themselves 2-0 down just a minute or so after the opening goal.
Ewan Wilson dallied on the ball in the centre of the park and it was Nectar Triantis who robbed him and began to bear down on goal.
The defensive midfielder steadied himself before unleashing a pinpoint right-footed strike across debutant Motherwell goalie Archie Mair into the opposite corner.
Motherwell made two changes at half-time to address their awful first-half with Stuart Kettlewell clearly unimpressed with what he had witnessed.
They improved by offering more of a goal threat through Tony Watt, who saw two headers fly over the bar before the 60th minute.
Hibs still looked fairly comfortable but the deficit was halved after 76 minutes when Callum Slattery scored a free-kick from the edge of the box.
Hibees inside Easter Road were likely preparing for a nervy finish. However, those fears were extinguished when Boyle converted a powerful penalty to make it 3-1.
Stephen O’Donnell was the guilty party as he hauled down Lewis Miller inside the box from a free-kick – and the former Scotland man knew exactly what he had done.
Motherwell’s afternoon was then summed up with a red card flashed to Jack Vale in stoppage time for chopping down Boyle. It looked more like a yellow but referee Colin Steven deemed it a dangerous challenge.
Not The Old Firm delivers the three things we learned from Hibs 3-1 Motherwell below.
Hibs are now genuine European challengers
David Gray must be given huge credit for the way he has transformed a struggling Hibs side who seemed destined for a relegation scrap into a team who could challenge for Europe come May.
They look like a completely different outfit with attacking threat on the wings and through the middle of the park.
Granted, there may still be some defensive issues to sort but on the whole, they are a world away from the start of the season’s performances.
Hibs weren’t tested too much this afternoon against a poor Motherwell team but they remained professional and got the job done.
Martin Boyle shone once again, while Nectar Triantis is growing into a crucial player in the middle of the park.
The Leith men have now entered the top six and fans may now start to dream of reaching European football.
Hopeless Motherwell’s two minutes of madness
This was easily one of Motherwell’s worst performances of the season, very similar to what they produced against Kilmarnock in midweek.
That will be a massive concern for boss Kettlewell, who watched his leggy side make sloppy passes and give up two gift-wrapped goals for the Hibees.
Those strikes were conceded within the space of a couple of minutes with Andy Halliday and Ewan Wilson primarily at fault for their carelessness.
The Steelmen could only get better in the second-half and that they did, but it was never going to be enough to haul Hibs back into a contest.
Motherwell have now won just one of their last seven league games but still find themselves in 5th.
Hibs fringe man Dylan Levitt impresses
For someone making just his second league start of the campaign, Welshman Dylan Levitt put in a very good performance.
He hasn’t been central to David Gray’s plans at all but was handed the chance to prove his worth against the Steelmen – and that he did.
Levitt may have only lasted 62 minutes before he was subbed off, but the 24-year-old was composed in possession and displayed his excellent range of passing.
Motherwell could hardly get near Levitt, particularly in the first-half, as he gave Gray something to think about heading into Hibs’ next few games.