Hibernian vs Morton. Scottish Championship.
Easter RoadAttendance8,655.
Wednesday 24 February 2016 23:29, UK
Hibernian suffered a significant blow to their Scottish Championship hopes as they lost 3-0 to Morton in their game in hand over leaders Rangers.
The Easter Road side were expected to close the gap to five points and apply extra pressure on Mark Warburton's team.
Instead, they lost at home to Morton in the league for the first time since 1982 as Thomas O'Ware, Denny Johnstone and Ross Forbes scored.
Rangers remain eight points clear and could now theoretically lose their remaining games against Hibs and third-placed Falkirk but still claim the title and promotion to the Premiership in they win their others.
Hibs dictated play in the opening stages of the game and could have been out of sight well before they fell behind.
Striker Anthony Stokes, on loan to the Edinburgh club from Celtic, had many of their early chances and might have had a hat-trick in the first seven minutes.
He failed with an attempted lob and after shooting over, he was also off target with an effort which nestled in the side netting instead.
Jason Cummings - Hibs' top scorer this season with 20 goals in all competitions - then saw his shot deflected goalwards by away defender Mark Russell only for Derek Gaston to save.
The keeper was in the right place against as he denied Cummings once more and the forward set up John McGinn soon after only to be flagged offside by the time the ball ended up in the net.
After Hibs had been so dominant for such a sustained period of time, what came next was probably as much of a surprise to Morton as it was to the hosts.
Having managed only a couple of half chances, the visitors went ahead when O'Ware was in the right place to head in at a corner after Liam Fontaine hesitated.
That gave Morton an advantage to take into the second half and they built on it with ruthless conviction.
Hibs could have been level three minutes after the restart when Cummings hit the bar and Stokes fell in the aftermath but no penalty was given.
In response, the Greenock side charged upfield and former Celtic youngster Johnstone tapped in from close range after Declan McManus' effort was only parried.
Alan Stubbs threw on James Keatings for Kevin Thomson as he looked for his team to make more of an impression further up the park.
But just after the hour mark it was three, with Forbes finding the bottom-left corner after he was set up by Bobby Barr's cutback.
Suddenly Morton were comfortable and with frustration rolling from the stands and Hibs struggling to respond, one of the big shocks of the Championship season was all but confirmed.
The away side had half chances to add a fourth but could not take them and while Stubbs' men tried to pick themselves up, they were sluggish throughout and ultimately well beaten
