It was a nightmare before Christmas for Livingston as they were swept aside at Easter Road by ruthless Hibs.
An early red card, four goals conceded and two penalties missed made for unpleasant viewing on Christmas Eve for the Livi faithful as they fell to a heavy defeat.
The visitors had already shown signs of an off-day before the game's turning point on 15 minutes as Jason Holt was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Kevin Nesbit.
David Martindale's side never got to grips with the game from that point with a clinical home display ensuring the points were in the bag as they raced to a three goal half-time lead.
Nisbet got the ball rolling on 33 minutes as he reacted the quickest to a rebound to fire home off the woodwork before Chris Cadden doubled the lead within a minute as he had acres of space on the right to charge at goal and coolly drive into the bottom corner.
A Kyle Magennis headed double five minutes before and after the break only worsened Livi's afternoon with the visitors also somehow managing to miss two late penalties.
The away side got off to a slow start with the ball being flashed across the face of goal just seconds in with nobody in a green and white jersey on hand to tap home.
Ivan Konovalov, deputising for the injured Shamal George, then pulled off a terrific save to deny Kevin Nisbet after the striker had been sent clear on goal in the third minute.
Having settled into the contest, Livi went close to taking a 13th minute lead as Dylan Bahamboula showed some nifty footwork to create space but saw his fizzing angled drive.
The game turned, though, two minutes later as Holt was shown a straight red for a challenge on Nisbet. The midfielder certainly won the ball but caught the Hibs man in the ankle with the follow through. The Scotland striker had the ball in the net midway through the first-half as they laid siege on the Lions goal - but he was flagged for offside.
The early red card resulted in Jackson Longridge being brought into the fray at the expense of Bahamboula with the Lions switching to a back five in a bid to shut up shop.
But Hibs' had the game all but wrapped up within minutes of the change as they bagged two goals in a minute. The first arrived when Nisbet was the quickest to react to a Ryan Porteous free-kick being saved by Konovalov with the striker rattling home the rebound off the near post.
Then barely 60 seconds later the hosts utilised space vacated by Cristian Montano with Cadden charging forward and angling a drive across the keeper and into the far corner.
Things went from bad to worse before the break, too, as Magennis nodded home a third at the back post as Livi looked in total shock.
Had they been hoping that the break would give them a chance to regroup and restore some pride in the second-half, that was firmly put to bed within five minutes as Magennis doubled his account and sent Hibs four goals up with a fine header.
A string of changes from both sides gave the match something of a pre-season friendly feel after that point but Hibs kept pressing for more. Konovalov pulled off a smart save to deny Elie Youan while Ewen Henderson failed to find a touch with the goal at his mercy.
When it's not your day, it's certainly not your day and Livingston's Christmas Eve ended with two late penalty misses as Esmael Goncalves saw his effort saved by David Marshall - only for the keeper to prevent Jack Fitzwater from the spot moments later following a handball in the rebound from the earlier miss.
Very much a case of trying to wipe it from the memory for Livingston as they prepare to host St Mirren on Wednesday evening.
Hibs: Marshall; Cadden, Bushiri (Henderson 61), Hanlon (Fish 61), Stevenson (Cabraja 77); Porteous, Newell; Magennis (McKirdy 71), Campbell, Youan; Nisbet (Melkerseon 71). Subs not used: Schofield, Kenneh, Mitchell, McGeady.
Goals: Nisbet (33), Cadden (34), Magennis (40, 50)
Livingston: Konovalov; Devlin (Penrice 74), Obileye, Fitzwater, Montano (Boyes 65); Holt, Pittman, Shinnie; Bahamboula (Longridge 27), Anderson (Goncalves 74), St. Kelly (Omeonga 45). Subs not used: Hamilton, Se. Kelly, Cancar
Sent-off: Holt (15)
Penalty miss: Goncalves (84), Fitzwater (85)
