Despite a spirited second-half performance from Thornton, Lochee held on to take all three points to keep their championship hopes alive.

Adam Drummond and Garry Thomson returned to the Hibs' line-up following suspensions and the latter came close to giving his side the lead in the 5th minute with a shot which took a wee deflection and ended up flashing just wide of its intended target.

Reece Ritchie almost gave the visitors a 20th minute lead with a header that came back off the post, but they enjoyed better fortune six minutes later when the Hibs were caught sleeping at a corner-kick and were punished for this as Scot McComiskie shot home from close range.

By the half-hour mark, Philip Hagan had doubled Lochee's lead from the penalty spot after Ian Shanks was alleged to have handled the ball although the Hibs' centre-back vehemently disputed this with the referee. To rub salt in the wounds, Andrew Adam was brought down in the penalty area at the opposite end just sixty seconds at the back of this controversial decision, but play was allowed to continue.

Adam Drummond pulled one back for Thornton in the 61st minute with a low drive from 22 yards but they just couldn't convert their possession into goals and it was a case of another hard luck story  for the men in green and white.

There were late sending-offs for Thornton's Ian Hepburn and Lochee's Connor Birse and countless cautions for both sides with one supporter claiming that the referee had more cards than Clintons!

Window Store Hibs' Man of the Match: Raymond Crichton

Lochee United: Fotheringham, Bannon, Kirk, Beedie, Birse, Cargill, McComiskie, Deasley, Ritchie, Hagan. Subs: Blackwood, Martin.

Referee: Mr B. Reid
 
Match statistics:
Attempts at goal - TH 5 LU 7
Attempts on target - TH 2 LU 6
Corners - TH 6 LU 5
Fouls committed - TH 14 LU 10
Yellow Cards - TH 6 LU 3
Red Cards - TH 1 LU 1