In cup-ties – and especially Scottish Cup ones – the main priority is to get into the draw for the next round. In that respect, the Hibs’ players did as was asked of them, but, oh dear, this wasn’t what Pele was watching when he described football as ‘The Beautiful Game’!
 
Nonetheless, Stevie Leslie’s pass was inch perfect for his strike partner, Chris Ireland, to put the Hibs into the lead on the half-hour mark. Not long at the back of that, Kris Griffin had a golden opportunity to give the visitors from Glasgow an equaliser but he blazed the ball wide of its intended target.

In the 36th minute, Ashfield were reduced to ten men after Luke Tolland’s act of petulance – he booted Stevie Leslie on the leg in full view of the referee – earned himself a straight red card. Despite being a man down, Ashfield began the second-half in determined fashion and penned the Hibs back in their own half for long periods.

However, in a quick break on the hour mark, Stevie Leslie won his side a penalty-kick after he was chopped down in the box by Paul McLaughlin. Chris Ireland took it and sent Scott Somerville the wrong way to make it 2-0. To compound matters for Ashfield, McLaughlin, who was already on a yellow card, received a second one after giving the ref a ‘moothfae’.

So surely against nine men for the last half hour the Hibs would go on to dominate possession and knock in a few more goals. Wrong! Ashfield rolled up their sleeves and got tore in and it looked at times as if they’d sneaked their two dismissed players back on when no one was looking!

In the 90th minute, Shaun Fraser shot wide when it looked easier to score and then deep into extra-time, Fraser Barbour powered home a deserved consolation strike. 
 
As is the norm on Scottish Cup day, some former Hibs’ players make an effort to come and see ‘their’ team play. There were quite a few there on Saturday but without being disrespectful to the others, there were three who fall into the ‘Legend’ category – Derry Wallace from the 1960’s, Jimmy Thomson from the 1980’s and John Wright from the noughties. Haste ye back guys!
 
Window Store Hibs’ Man of the Match – Chris Ireland
 
Ashfield: Sommerville, Byrne, Tolland, Gayne, Hardie, McLaughlin, Barbour, Eadie, Fraser, Griffin, Quinn. Subs: Scullion, Brodie, Green, Wells.
 
Referee: Mr J. Curran.