BSC Glasgow 1-4 Hibs: Jack Ross satisfied to pass BSC test in William Hill Scottish Cup

Hibs claimed their place in the last eight of the Scottish Cup but it was anything but a breeze as BSC Glasgow simply refused to be blown away.

Marc McNulty’s first two goals since returning to the club for a second spell on loan appeared to have ended this fifth-round tie on the half-hour mark but BSC hauled themselves back into the match with a Ross Smith header.

Buoyed by that goal the Lowland League outfit clearly fancied their chances of creating one of the biggest giant-killing acts in the competition’s history as Hibs huffed and puffed in the blustery conditions.

But a third from McNulty put paid to such ambition with Greg Docherty putting a more respectable slant – at least from the Capital club’s point of view – on the scoreline five minutes from time.

Admitting the blustery conditions had made life difficult, Hibs boss Jack Ross was, nevertheless, delighted with the win. “I’m pleased to progress,” he said. “It was always going to be a difficult tie for a variety of reasons and then you add the weather conditions we’ve had over the weekend. The sloppiness of the goal we conceded makes it a little bit more challenging but over the piece I am pleased with what the players gave me and the number of chances we created and we have gone through comfortably in the end.”

Ross admitted his players had to battle not only BSC but a blustery wind and driving rain for what turned out to be a comfortable win in the end, saying: “You don’t have any divine right to win a football match, it takes effort, commitment and quality and we did eventually show that.

“When you look at the conditions, I watched the games yesterday and saw how difficult they were so we knew that would be the case today and it was like that. When we arrived it was okay but as the game progressed it became borderline farcical. But we have dealt with it.”

“History is over-rated” read the banner unfurled by a group of BSC fans, an obvious reference to the disparity in ages between the clubs, Hibs, of course, formed in 1875 while their hosts were invited into the Lowland League only six years ago.

As such this Scottish Cup tie was by far the biggest game in their side’s short existence, but one their supporters were out to enjoy albeit the match was being staged 35 miles from their home in the west end of Glasgow.

The yellow and blue chequered flags which had been placed on each seat of the Indodrill Stadium’s main stand where the bulk of their 700 fans – BSC normally attract around 100 to run-of-the-mill league game – were waved furiously without any need of assistance from Storm Ciara.

Their high spirits, though, were deflated ever so slightly as Hibs got the early goal they’d wished for, Martin Boyle’s pass allowed McNulty to cushion the ball before sweeping it into the far corner of the net for the first goal of his second spell at Easter Road.

Ross had gone with a 3-5-2 formation with Boyle and Daryl Horgan patrolling the flanks to stretch the part-timers of BSC who had resigned themselves to long spells without the ball.

But Thomas Orr reminded the Premiership side there was no room for complacency with a turn and shot which had goalkeeper Ofir Marciano diving to his right to save as BSC began to grow in confidence.

If it was a wake-up call for Ross’s players it did the trick, Docherty’s low cross giving McNulty the time to take a touch before lashing the ball high into the net for his second of the game.

Two up inside half-an-hour and it looked as if Hibs were already heading into the quarter-final draw but BSC hauled themselves back into the match, Ross Smith getting the better of Lewis Stevenson to meet Robbie McNab’s free-kick to send a looping header beyond Marciano and into the far corner of the net. McNulty might have had a first-half hat-trick when Steven Whittaker’s long ball found him in behind the BSC defence but, perhaps thinking he was offside, his attempt to loft Ryan Marshall was unconvincing, the goalkeeper grabbing the ball above his head.

The conditions were always likely to play a part and BSC almost capitalised when a pass from Paul Hanlon, the only recognised central defender in Hibs back three, held up in the wind, allowing Orr to get a foot in before Marciano could get to it but his touch went wide.

BSC, however, had obviously gained confidence from that Smith goal and Thomas Collins, with 17 goals to his name this season, might have backed himself to do better than send the ball off target after Jamie McCormack’s low cross eluded Hanlon.

Ross acknowledged BSC were beginning to enjoy themselves just a little too much for his liking by changing the shape of his team, Whittaker moving back alongside Hanlon while Fraser Murray replaced Horgan on the left of what was now a midfield four.

Hibs were able to breath a little easier as McNulty claimed his third of the game to restore his side’s two-goal cushion. Picked out by Docherty’s superb diagonal ball, the striker had all the time in the world to pick his spot beyond Marshall.

Top scorer Christian Doidge should have added a fourth, the Welshman latching on to McNab’s poor pass back to round Marshall only to drill the ball into the side-netting from a tight angle. Another did come, an intricate move involving substitute Jamie Gullan and McNulty leaving Docherty with the easy task of tapping the ball in for his first Hibs goal.

BSC Glasgow (4-4-2): R Marshall; Mills, Smith, McMillan, McCormack; McNab (Mckay 81), Anderson, Hughes, Collins; Grehan (Hamilton 88), Orr. Substitutes not used: Barr, Lindsay, J Marshall, Bell, Bowers.

Hibs (3-5-2): Marciano; McGinn, Hanlon, Stevenson; Boyle (Gullan 79), Omeonga (Hallberg 70), Docherty, Whittaker, Horgan (Murray 59); Doidge, McNulty. Substitutes not used: Bogdan, Slivka, James, McGregor.