Scott Allan put Hibernian into an early lead at Easter Road

Hibernian needed extra-time to rescue a spot in the League Cup quarter-finals in a thrilling win over Morton.

The Easter Road side were two up through Scott Allan and Josh Vela before Bob McHugh and Lewis Stevenson's own goal levelled before the break.

Florian Kamberi put the hosts back ahead but Steven Whittaker turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time.

However, the Swiss calmly finished along with Christian Doidge in extra-time to clinch the victory.

It was cruel on a resolute Morton, who had manager David Hopkin sent to the stand in the aftermath of Hibs' fourth.

Kamberi to the rescue

Hibs came out the traps like a team determined to shake off the spectre of a demoralising defeat, albeit only five of the starting XI began last weekend's trouncing at Ibrox.

But they pinned their Championship opponents back, playing some penetrative, pacy football.

It should have brought Kamberi the opening goal but the man apparently rated at £2m by Basel somehow glanced his point-blank header wide of the target.

The sparse home crowd did not have to wait too long for the breakthrough their early enterprise deserved as their on-loan debutant Glenn Middleton laid the ball on a plate for Allan, who took one touch to set himself before firing past Danny Rogers with his second.

Any lingering hangover from Ibrox appeared to have been well and truly shrugged off when Vela hammered in Daryl Horgan's clever cutback to put Hibs well in command, but a defensive fragility was soon to rear its head to give Morton hope.

First Nicky Cadden got the better of Stevenson to drill in a cross that McHugh showed greater desire than those in green to get on the end of and turn past Chris Maxwell.

And just before the interval, Aidan Nesbitt did superbly to flight in a cross for McHugh to glance goalwards and the unfortunate Stevenson could only help into the net as he attempted to clear.

That led to boos among the home fans at half-time but their spirits were soon lifted as Rogers marked his Morton debut with a rush of blood to the head, coming off his line to try to intercept Middleton's ball down the channel only to be beaten to the ball by Kamberi who rounded the keeper to slide the ball into an empty net.

Hibs could not kill Morton off though and were made to pay as Kyle Jacobs put a hopeful ball into the six-yard box and Whittaker turned it past his own keeper.

Kamberi ultimately came to Hibs' rescue, though, racing on to an Allan pass, which Jim McAlister unsuccessfully tried to cut out, to clip past Rogers, while Hopkin fumed at what he thought was an earlier foul on Cameron Salkeld, earning a red card for his trouble.

Reghan Tumilty might have taken the game to penalties but Maxwell saved brilliantly to keep out his shot from 15 yards and in the dying moments Doidge looped the ball over Rogers to seal the victory and send Hibs into the third round.

Morton manager David Hopkin watches on from the stand

Man of the match - Glenn Middleton

Not fully match fit but the winger on loan from Rangers had a part in two of Hibs' goals and otherwise showed flashes of the skill and pace that led Paul Heckingbottom to bring him to Easter Road.

With him on one wing and Daryl Horgan on the other - both capable of playing either wide or even behind the striker, Hibs look a real attacking threat. They could do with sorting their defence out though.

'We've been robbed' - Reaction

Hibernian assistant manager Robbie Stockdale said:"We took the foot off the gas and it doesn't matter what opposition you do that against, it's difficult to turn that momentum around.

"We spoke at half-time and reminded us of what got us into the lead and for large periods of the second half we were dominant. We got sucker-punched right at the end but the aim was to get through to the next round and we are. We've had to go through a little bit of pain to get there, but hopefully that might put us in good stead going forward.

"It's the first time we've had to come through that pain today, and we've done it well."

Morton assistant boss Anton McElhone said: "We should be through to the next round. Everybody knows in the stadium, having watched it, we were the better team for a lot of spells. We don't have the same budget or resources, we gave everything, and we've been robbed out of it for that fourth goal.

"It should've been a free-kick down that right side. Our manager's been getting it from all ends, and he's been sent to the stands for no reason. It's a football match, you're motivating your players and we feel hard done by.

"It's a stonewall free-kick, we don't get it and they go down the other end of the pitch and score."