Elias Melkersen has dream first Hibs start as Bevis Mugabi's first-minute red card sets tone for dramatic Scottish Cup tie

First starts for your new club do not come much better than this. Young Elias Melkersen will not forget this afternoon in Motherwell in a hurry, the 19-year-old Norwegian scoring twice to send Hibs into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

Signed from Bodo/Glimt on January for a fee in excess of £300,000, the teenager has had to wait a while to force his way into the first team, a mixture of fitness, illness and acclimatising to life in Scotland resulting in him having to bide his time.

Two substitute appearances against Dundee and St Johnstone had done enough to convince manager Shaun Maloney that he was worth a start for a Hibs team that had failed to score in six of its past eight matches. With main striker Kevin Nisbet sidelined for at least seven months and Christian Doidge without a goal since the summer, Hibs needed someone to step up to the plate.

He did that and more, two first-half efforts enough to book an eighth trip to Hampden in the past three years, albeit they were given a massive assist by Motherwell’s Bevis Mugabi.

Just 49 seconds were on the clock when the Motherwell defender recklessly lunged at Josh Doig. Referee Willie Collum was left with little option but to send him off, despite the protestations of the home fans. Mugabi’s crestfallen visage backed up the official’s decision. Doig, with a gashed leg, could not continue,

Had Collum decided to also dismiss Jordan Roberts for a similarly dangerous challenge on Drey Wright just six minutes later, there would have been few complaints. The referee only flashed a yellow card; there wasn’t much difference between the two tackles.

Clearly rattled, Motherwell were disorganised, and while Hibs had gone three matches without a goal, they knew there would be