The Hibees defeated Elgin City 5-0 at Borough Briggs to start the new season with a commanding lead thanks to a hat-trick from Dylan Vente.
In a commanding and merciless display, Martin Boyle and rookie Marvin Ekpiteta both scored goals.
New recruits Warren O’Hora, Ekpiteta, and Josef Bursik made their competitive debuts against our League 2 opponents under new head coach David Gray.
Additionally, he started potential young player Rudi Molotnikov for the second time for the Club, starting the 18-year-old in a three-man midfield with Josh Campbell and Joe Newell.
Elie Youan was absent due to illness, while Hibs were also without Jake Doyle-Hayes and Harry McKirdy.
As usual, Edinburgh provided us with strong support, and the itinerant Hibees were heard the entire time.
The opening shot of the game came from the hosts when a ball over the top nearly freed Brian Cameron, but Bursik saw the danger coming and hurried to save at his feet.
There was a flurry of movement at the other end as Chris Cadden flashed a delivery across the face of goal, followed by Newell stinging Thomas McHale’s palms and Miller dragging a shot wide.
Eight minutes in, a well-worked goal from Molotnikov split up the Elgin defenders, allowing Boyle to run in behind and cut back for Vente to slot home from close range, breaking the deadlock.
The Dutch attacker was thrilled to score his first goal of the season so fast, and he had a chance to increase his total moments later when Jordan Obita found him, but McHale denied him again from point blank range.
We had gotten off to a great start, and Bursik had to make a great save to maintain our lead. Dajon Golding had gotten past Ekpiteta inside the area, but the goalkeeper had stopped his near-post shot.
Soon after, Molotnikov came inside and unleashed a left-footed shot that sailed over McHale’s crossbar as we went back on the attack.
We were dealt a blow as halftime drew near when Cadden knocked the pitch. Nathan Moriah-Welsh took his position, forcing a reorganization in which Boyle moved wide right, Molotnikov pushed up, and the replacement assumed a central role.
After Obita’s cross, Vente launched a counterattack, surprising Elgin, who had apparently assumed they had weathered the storm and were starting to establish themselves in our final third.
