Hibs avoided a slip-up at Easter Road to take a massive step towards European football as goals from Elie Youan and Will Fish gave Hibs a 2-1 win over St Mirren.
A bright start saw Lee Johnson's men race into a 2-0 lead before the Buddies pulled a goal back in the second-half, leaving the Leith crowd in nervous discomfort for the final 30.
But the points would stay in Edinburgh as Hibs saw out the result and opened up a three-point gap over the Paisley outfit and moved within a point of Hearts ahead of their trip to Aberdeen next weekend.
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Youan's superb effort to close down the St Mirren defence and steal the ball to rifle home the opener would put the Frenchman on the scoresheet inside four minutes.
That effort was almost doubled by Chris Cadden, who would fire just wide of the mark before Will Fish was left unmarked at the back post to head home the corner kick for Hibs' second.
Kevin Nisbet then saw his effort denied by Trevor Carson moments after Jake Doyle-Hayes' afternoon came to an early end; Josh Campbell was the man to replace him.
Campbell would soon be in action, however as he managed to curl an effort towards goal, only for Carson to make another stop.
Nisbet then was inches away from his side's third as he fired just over the bar before Curtis Main saw his effort for the Buddies struck straight at David Marshall, who had no problems gathering the ball.
Alex Greive managed to pull one back on 64 minutes, but his side couldn't build on their first goal and the fixture fizzled out for the visitors, with Hibs picking up a massive three points in their pursuit of European football.
Here's three things we learned from the victory at Easter Road.
Hibs burst out the gates with strong start
Hibs couldn't have asked for a better start to life post-split, as they were ruthless from the get-go at Easter Road against Stephen Robinson's men.
Youan's efforts to steal the ball and score with four minutes on the clock were soon followed by a close call when Chris Cadden was unlucky not to get the second.
Fish's header doubled their lead in under half an hour, and Kevin Nisbet was then denied by Trevor Carson in a start that almost left the Buddies shellshocked.
Hibs could and should have put the game well out of sight, but it will be pleasing for Johnson to see his side in such ruthless form early on in a game that could end up being the difference between Euro nights or slumping to sixth.
It puts breathing space between themselves and the Paisley side, and it will be a result that has their Gorgie neighbours looking over their shoulder in the coming weeks.
Defensive frailty lingering
Despite storming into a healthy lead, it was an uncomfortable crawl to full-time at Easter Road, as Alex Greive put the fear of a missed opportunity into the minds of the home crowd.
Had the composure been retained from the first-half and that ruthless instinct in attack, it might have been a far more comfortable ending, and Nisbet showed there was the chance to kill the game off.
His effort came inches away from making it 3-0, and while there will need to be a focus on stopping the frailty at the back from creeping in, the need to kill off games will be crucial in the final weeks of the season.
It feels a little bit like the Hibees cashed in their get out of jail card, as St Mirren rallied well in the second 45, but Hibs ultimately saved the day with composure to see the game out.
Major confidence boost ahead of Pittodrie visit
Hibs haven't had the best of times on the road this season, but they will be feeling an air of confidence about them from their St Mirren display.
Up next is a trip to the Granite City, and it is yet to be seen if they will be facing an Aberdeen side with eight wins on the bounce or if they will be wounded from defeat at Ibrox.
What they will know, however, is that they can beat sides in the top six, having downed Hearts and St Mirren in the last month, and that will be huge if they are to take something from Pittodrie.
Their last visit wasn't exactly one to remember, but it's not the time to dwell on past results, and if Hibs are to properly stake their claim for a place in Europe, then they will need this confidence in abundance next weekend.
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