Chris Ireland made a goal-scoring debut for the Hibs but Lee White upstaged him by netting a hat-trick that included a match-winning strike for the second game on the trot.

Both sets of players should be congratulated for putting on a spectacle on a very tricky surface and full marks too should go to the referee, David McKenzie, for allowing the game to go ahead on a pitch that some of his colleagues might’ve deemed to be unplayable.

The Hibs took the lead in the 10th minute when White rose above his marker to powerfully head home Keiran McGuire’s deep cross. Less than two minutes later the same man, White, netted with another header, this time Fraser Terras being the provider. It had been all Hibs up ‘til now but Lochore raised their game and began to put Thornton on the back foot. They deservedly pulled one back in the 29th minute when John Ferguson’s cross was converted by Craig Paterson.

In the 35th minute, Lee Reid’s brilliant free-kick flashed beyond Mark Rowbotham to level the game.

Whilst the second-half wasn’t exactly one-way traffic, it was the visitors who created most goal-scoring opportunities although it looked for a while as if none of them were going to be converted. Keiran McGuire had a shot from the edge of the area that struck the underside of the bar; Lee White’s raging 20 yard drive struck the outside of the upright; Craig McMaihin made a terrific save to prevent McGuires’s drive from counting; Chris Ireland had an overhead kick blocked on the line; a netbound Fraser Terras shot was blocked; McMaihin made a fine double save from Adam Drummond.

Eventually a goal came in the 70th minute and it was from the head of new boy, Chris Ireland, who headed home Andrew Adam’s corner-kick.

Within two minutes it was all-square again. Good interpassing between Brett McGuire and substitute, Alan McDonough, allowed the latter to go through one on one with Rowbotham. Although the Hibs’ ‘keeper got down well at the Lochore man’s feet, the ball squirmed clear allowing McDonough to squeeze the ball home from an acute angle.

Lee White grabbed the winner in the 78th minute when, after McMaihin had pulled off a great save from Ireland, he followed up to lash the loose ball into the net. That was the end of the scoring but only because in the dying seconds, Rowbotham made a superb save to deny Robert Fyfe.

Lochore Welfare: McMahain, L.Wilson, Laing, Fyfe, Reid, Paterson, Bishop, Duncan, Fergusson, McGuire, Penman. Subs: McDonoogh, C.Wilson, McIlvean, Goodwin, Reynolds.

Referee: Mr D.McKenzie