Ross targets Scottish Cup joy as Hibs progress to last 16

Jack Ross is aiming for Hampden happiness after Hibernian beat Queen of the South 3-1 in their Scottish Cup third-round tie at Palmerston Park.

A Christian Doidge double and Martin Boyle strike had the Premiership side well clear before a consolation goal by defender James Maxwell, on loan from Rangers.

The Easter Road side set up an away tie at Stranraer in the fourth round, with the winners at home to either Motherwell or Morton.

Hibs lost the recent Betfred Cup semi-final to St Johnstone, the delayed 2020 Scottish Cup semi-final to Hearts and the previous Betfred Cup semi-final to Celtic, all at the national stadium, with Ross involved in the latter two.

The Hibernian boss said: “For us at the start of the season it was about doing well in the league and trying to win a cup.

“Since I’ve come here our record in cup competitions in terms of winning games has been good.

“It is just that we have fallen at the last-four stage in the last two competitions. If you win five games you can win the Scottish Cup and that is what we will be aiming to do.

“That has to be the ambition and the players have the belief to go and do that. We gave ourselves a platform in the first half and after the break we were very good.

“We are a very good team and we have shown that over the course of the season. It is a pleasing night and we scored some good goals.

“Christian is in a good place at the moment and it was also a good finish from Martin Boyle as well.”

Queen of the South manager Allan Johnston was particularly unhappy that Joe Newell’s challenge on captain Stephen Dobbie inside the penalty area went unpunished before the Hibs midfielder sped up the park to set up Doidge for the second goal.

He said: “The first half there wasn’t much between the teams, in the second half big moments cost us really.

“We are through on goal at 1-0 down and you probably have to go and score and then there is the incident with Stephen Dobbie.

“Willie Collum says there is contact but it wasn’t hard enough.

“I don’t know how he can judge that. If there is contact, he has put him the wrong way, he has brought him down inside the box – surely that is a penalty.

“They go straight up the park and score and it is a completely different game.

“They are a Premiership team, 2-0 up, a good passing team, so it was difficult but credit to the boys they kept going and James Maxwell scores a good goal.

“Hibs had a good second half but, as I say, it is easy when you are 2-0 up, so big decisions probably cost us tonight.”