Thornton Hibs 4-2 Lochore Welfare: Hibs reach cup final with third straight win over higher league opponents

Hibs, seventh in the East of Scotland League second division, saw off the team 12th in the first division to qualify for the final against Luncarty – seventh in the first division – on Sunday, November 27 at a venue still to be decided.

Saturday’s semi-final encounter started badly for Thornton though as it was the visitors who went ahead in the eighth minute when Joe Kirby's powerful drive from 20 yards crept just inside the post.

And Lochore held this lead until the 35th minute when Daniel McNab's strike

from distance gave visiting goalkeeper Dale Wotherspoon no chance to level the tie.

Just two minutes later, Wotherspoon's attempted clearance rebounded off a team-mate into the path of Thornton’s Chris Ireland who struck the ball first-time high into the net.

Kirby must have thought he'd levelled the tie just before half-time but home custodian Calum Sutherland brilliantly thwarted the Lochore number 10.

Andy Adam then doubled the Hibs advantage in the 72nd minute in freak circumstances. Wotherspoon couldn't hold on to Adam’s corner kick, with the ball then trickling over the line to make it 3-1 Thornton.

With 10 minutes remaining, Hibs substitute John Soutar netted the goal of the game with a terrific curling shot into the top bin.

In added time Joe Dawson scored a consolation strike but it was the Hibs who came out on top by four goals to two to book their final date with Perth outfit Luncarty.

The Station Hotel/Copland Glazing Hibs' Man of the Match was Stuart Drummond.

Thornton Hibs: Sutherland, Robertson, McMillan, S.Drummond, Shanks, Kinninmonth, McNeish, Coleman, Ireland, Thomson, McNab. Subs: A.Drummond, Allan, Adam, Daniel Meldrum, Soutar, Bryce, Darren Meldrum.

Lochore Welfare: Wotherspoon, Christie, Small, Anderson, P.Thomson, Donaldson, Kirby, Crawford, Renton, Grieve, Morton. Subs: L.Thomson, Dawson, Warrender, Murray, Bell, Wood.

Referee: Mr K.Hall