With nine of his nineteen-man squad unavailable, Craig Gilbert was forced into fielding trialists for this match.

As the clock showed just twenty-three minutes played, the game looked all over bar the shouting as The Dokens led three nil and looked like scoring every time they went up the park. A long ball out of defence in the 4th minute allowed the completely unmarked Connor Macleod to run on and shoot low past Mark Rowbotham. By the 11th minute it was 2-0 when Graeme Collins lashed the ball high into the net and after Macleod got his second you had to fear the worst for Thornton.

In the 38th minute, however, Liam Ivory was in smartly to block North End ‘keeper, Gordon Chalmers’, attempted clearance and when the ball fell kindly for him, the Hibs’ striker was quick to slide the ball into the unguarded net. Straight from the restart, Ivory nicked the ball off Jonathon Smart and lashed the ball home from distance to reduce the deficit to one.

Ivory claimed his hat-trick in the 61st minute although, in fairness, he didn’t know too much about it as Matthew Gay’s 25 yard effort deflected off his nether regions and into the net.

When Scott McComiskie netted from the penalty spot in the 90th minute it looked like all three points were going to stay on Tayside but deep into stoppage time, Mark Rowbotham’s free-kick was back-headed into the net by Chris Ireland to give Thornton a fully deserved point.

Window Store Hibs’ Man of the Match – Liam Ivory

Dundee North End: Chalmers, J.McCabe, Deuchars, Stevenson, Smart, Ritchie, McNaughton, Grier, McComiskie, Macleod, Collins. Subs: McIntosh, T.McCabe, M.McCabe, Cushnie, Collins

Referee: Mr M. Gill