Motherwell 1 - 4 Hibernian: Decisive victory ends Hibs' losing streak

John Rankin and Dean Shiels claimed their first SPL goals of the season, Steven Fletcher his sixth and Derek Riordan his fifth as Hibs ended their run of six games without a win with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park this afternoon.

The Easter Road side took the lead through Rankin after just five minutes only for Bob Malcolm to equalise for the home side before Shiels and Fletcher deservedly secured the points for the rampant Edinburgh outfit who could easily have doubled their goals tally.

Graeme Smith twice denied Derek Riordan after the Hibs striker had been left with only the Motherwell goalkeeper to beat while Shiels also hit the bar before Riordan put the seal on a stylish peformance with a fourth goal in the final minute.

Hibs should have taken the lead with barely 60 seconds on the clock as Malcolm gave the ball away to Steven Fletcher who instantly turned it into the path of Riordan, giving his fellow striker a clear run in on goal.

But Smith had read the danger and raced from his line to superbly beat away Riordan's shot.

A sweeping move from Hibs ended with Rankin clipping a dipping effort over the bar but the little midfielder wasn't to be denied when he claimed the opening goal with just five minutes on the clock. Ian Murray cut out another poor clearance from Malcolm, nodding the ball down for Ranking who rode a couple of challenges before drilling a low shot beyond the despairing right hand of Smith.

Tight offside decisions halted Riordan and then Fletcher in their tracks but the flag stayed down as Riordan raced onto a ball played forward by Shiels but again the Hibs striker let the opportunity slip, firing a shot off the legs of the advancing Smith when he should have done much better.

The worry for Hibs was that while they had totally dominated the game up to this point those missed chances could prove costly as the home side began to settle and establish a foothold in a game which could easily have been well beyond them with only 20 minutes played.

Malcolm had the chance to test Yves Ma-Kalambay for the first time with a free-kick from 25 yards which flew harmlessly into the goalkeeper's arms, the only real threat Motherwell had posed in the opening half-hour.

But Malcolm made a better job of his next opportunity in t he 42nd minute, blasting the ball home after Chris Hogg had been adjudged, somewhat harshly in his eyes as he made his protests in vain to referee Charlie Richmond, for going over the top of Chris Porter, the big defender's effort from 20 yards flying high into the net beyond the helpless Ma-Kalambay.

Hibs had lost their way a little and the half-time break would have been welcomed by boss Mixu Paatelainen as an opportunity to get his players' minds refocused for the second 45 minutes.

And it was the Edinburgh side who again started the better, reclaiming the lead with a superbly worked goal in the 49th minute, the ball eventually being laid off perfectly by Fletcher for Dean Shiels who wasted no time in rifling a low shot into the corner of the net.

Fletcher claimed a third goal in the 61st minute with a simply stunning strike from 30 yards. Murray's run was halted but as the ball ran free the Scotland striker thundered a first time shot with his left foot which screamed past Smith and into the net.

John Sutton almost reduced the deficit straight away with rising shot which needed every inch of Ma-Kalambay's 6ft 5in frame to touch it over before Sol Bamba tried his luck with a tremendous drive from 40 yards which Smith took at the second attempt.

Shiels almost made it four for Hibs in the 71st minute, the Northern Ireland midfielder somehow riggling away from three Motherwell defenders and beating Smith only to see the ball crash back off the bar and into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper.

Riordan wrapped it up for Hibs with a fourth goal in the final minute.

Motherwell: G Smith, Quinn, Hammell, Reynolds, Malcolm, Hughes, Lasley, McGarry (J O'Brien 64), Porter, Sutton, Murphy (D Smith 70). Subs not used: Nielsen, Klimpl, Fitzpatrick, Conolly, Forbes.

Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, van Zanten, Hogg, Jones, Murray, Shiels (Stevenson 88), Bamba (Thicot 90), Chisholm, Rankin, Fletcher (Nish 80), Riordan. Subs not used: McNeil, Yantorno, Nish, A O'Brien, Keenan.

Referee: Charlie Richmond.