Hibs reaction: One player gets huge praise, Youan update, dugout switch reasons, Bowie transfer situation

The 18-year-old, who is naturally a No 10, was deployed wide left as he was against Elgin City last weekend and gave new Spiders right-back Cammy Kerr a difficult evening. He showed admirable composure to net the third goal in a one-sided match at Easter Road which leaves Hibs in pole position to qualify for the last 16 of the competition.

"He was excellent," Gray said of Molotnikov's performance. "That’s the second time he has been a real bright spark. He showed quality he’s got, pace and power. He was in and around the first team last season but he has really taken his chance this year. He needs to keep working hard but he is doing really well at the moment.

"He has got the physicality to hold people off and he can affect training now and he is now affecting games, which is great and he is enjoying himself, he is playing with a smile on his face. He has got a good team about him helping him every single day. He’s just enjoying being on the pitch and taking his opportunity."

Martin Boyle netted twice, and Warren O'Hora and Dylan Levitt also got on the scoresheet, with the only blot on Hibs' copybook a stoppage-time consolation by Jack Turner. "The boys were excellent again," said Gray. "The intensity, scoring five goals is great. We had other chances too, we were defensively really strong, a slight negative was to concede the goal at the end."

There was also some concern about substitute Elie Youan, who limped off in stoppage-time after colliding with Queen's Park keeper Calum Ferrie. "It's one of them in the last stage of the match, as a coach, you don't need to go for it," added Gray. "But at the same time he was brave to go and do that and fingers crossed it's a bit of a dead leg from the collision and hopefully he should be alright.

Gray also explained why he has moved the dugout to the left side of the main stand. "It's just something that I've noticed since I've been at the club," he said. "Everything we do is on the left side of the building. We warm up there and the subs go down that side. It's something I wanted to change, to see what it was like - if we'd got beaten tonight, we might have gone back the other way!"

Meanwhile, Fulham striker Kieron Bowie could emerge as a transfer target for Hibs in the coming days. The Easter Road club have been alerted to the Scotland Under-21 forward's availability, as well as other teams in the Premiership. The 21-year-old former Raith youngster has spent the past two years on loan at Northampton Town.