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We had a whole team of heroes as the Edinburgh side only just sneaked past us to advance to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

The hearts of the 300 Cove Rangers fans – who totally out sung their Hibs rivals – must have been bursting with pride after seeing us go toe-to-toe with full-time Premiership opponents who are regarded as one of the top five sides in the country.

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It looked as if we were going to take the tie all the way to penalties, which would have been the very least our players deserved for giving everything they had from start to finish.

Unfortunately, Scotland international Kevin Nisbet stole victory for Hibs with a goal minutes from the end of extra-time, which was cruel on all 15 of the Cove players who featured.

They left absolutely nothing out on the Easter Road pitch and came within a whisker of what would have been our greatest cup result ever.

We might even have avoided extra-time had we not been denied what looked a stone wall penalty, when a Leighton McIntosh cross appeared to have been handled inside the area early in the second half.

We also had chances to score and had the Hibs fans in the disappointing crowd of just 5,839 shuffling with discomfort in their seats until Nisbet spared their team’s blushes.

Manager Paul Hartley again had to make enforced changes to the side that beat Montrose at the weekend, with experienced duo Shay Logan and Iain Vigurs ruled out by injury.

That was countered by latest signing Mark Reynolds receiving clearance in time to begin the evening on the bench.

Hibs had chosen to leave out Australian international striker Martin Boyle, who was reported to be poised to complete a £3 million move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Faisaly.

The Cove fans were as defiant as their team and the noise they made from the wee corner of the main stand certainly helped push our lads on to give as good as they got in an evenly contested first 45 minutes.

There was an early scare for Hibs, when a clearance from keeper Matt Macey struck Mitch Megginson, which sent the ball speeding across the face of the home goal, it could have easily gone in.

Hibs had a chance from a free-kick in the ninth minute, but Ewan Henderson blasted his 22-yard effort high over the crossbar.

It took manager Hartley just 10 minutes to decide to change from a 4-1-4-1 formation, and go with three at the back, in an effort to make it more difficult for Hibs.

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It worked a treat and we threatened again in the 19th minute, when Macey had to race from his line to grab the ball before Leighton McIntosh was able to get on the end of a lay-off from Megginson.

Hibs had the first shot on target a minute later, when Kyle Gourlay made an excellent save to beat away a 16-yard shot from Chris Mueller.

Connor Scully was booked in the 23rd minute, for tripping Chris Cadden.

Josh Doig did well to clear a Fraser Fyvie free-kick away from Megginson eight yards out as we continued to probe for the opener.

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Hibs then broke up the park and Christian Doidge went close with a header from a left wing cross by Henderson.

Macey kept things level with a decent save in the 32nd minute.

He dived full length to his left to hold a net-bound drive from Morgyn Neill, who had got a great  connection on the ball after Jamie Masson’s corner from the right had been knocked into his path.

Hibs thought they had scored when Doidge got the ball in our net in the 34th minute, but the striker was given offside as he broke through the middle.

Hibs went close in the 42nd minute when Meiker Hallberg’s corner from the right was knocked on to Doidge, whose acrobatic overhead kick was held by Gourlay.

The half ended with Chris Cadden crossing from the right for Doig to blast a first time volley over the bar, but that wasn’t enough to save the home side leaving the pitch to a chorus of jeers from their fans – while the Cove Rangers fans gave our lads a rousing ovation as they made their way to the dressing room

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Our penalty claim came in the 53rd minute, when Paul Hanlon clearly knocked McIntosh’s cross from the right behind with his hand, but referee Euan Anderson chose to only award a corner.

The best chance so far fell to us, in the 58th minute.

Fyvie made a brilliant run down the left and cut the ball back to Megginson, who created space for a shot that was beaten to safety by Macey.

Megginson was booked in the 61st minute, just before Neill made a brilliant clearance after Cadden had crossed the ball in from the right.

Masson saw a low 22-yard shot held by Macey as the home fans began to get even more restless.

Neill was booked in the 65th minute for a foul on Jamie Murphy.

Reynolds and Rory McAllister were brought on in the 67th minute.

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Gourlay was well positioned to hold a long range shot from Muelller a couple of minutes later.

We threatened again in the 80th minute, when Harry Milne’s cross from the left was only just cleared away from Megginson inside the Hibs six yard box.

Strachan made a heroic last gasp tackle on Mueller inside the six yard box in the last of the three minutes added by the referee to ensure we went on to extra-time.

Jevan Anderson was on for the injured Strachan before the additional 30 minutes got underway.

Chances were few after that, although Doig and Nisbet hit shots off target, either side of Hanlon picking up a caution for fouling Megginson.

That was because our lads were throwing their bodies on the line to block shots and stop crosses, despite a lot of them looking as if they were so shattered they were almost on their knees.

You can be sure they would have picked themselves up again if it had gone to penalties, but it wasn’t to be.

Hibs stole that away in the 112th minute, when Doig managed to cut the ball back from the left and NISBET swept it home from around 10 yards.

Scott Ross was booked soon afterwards for a foul, with Joe Newell of Hibs also seeing yellow.

We made a gallant effort to bounce back and were unlucky not to equalise with four minutes left, when Milne cut the ball back from the left to Anderson and his shot from the edge of the six yard box was deflected just wide of the post.

Our players looked gutted when the final whistle went, but the standing ovation they got from the Cove Rangers fans showed how much they appreciated what was an outstanding effort away to one of the sides who will now be among the favourites to win the Scottish Cup.

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HIBERNIAN: Macey, Hanlon, Stevenson, Hallberg (Doyle-Hayes 82), Cadden, Campbell, Newell, Henderson (Murphy 59), Doig, Mueller (Scott 90), Doidge (Nisbet 59)

Subs: Dabrowski, Wright, Gogic, Allan, Mackie.

COVE RANGERS: Gourlay, Ross, Neill, Strachan (Anderson 90), Milne, Yule, McIntosh (McAllister 67), Fyvie (Leitch 82), Scully, Masson (Reynolds 67), Megginson.

Subs: McKenzie, Adeyemo.

Referee: Euan Anderson.

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