Under-pressure head coach Nick Montgomery remains "confident" he retains the support of the Hibernian hierarchy despite the "embarrassing" 4-0 Scottish Premiership loss to Aberdeen.
Montgomery was told by the Hibs board last month that results and performances must improve - but the hosts were easily swept aside as Aberdeen recorded a third straight win.
Stunning strikes from Leighton Clarkson and Dante Polvara had the Dons comfortably ahead at the break before Bojan Miovski and 16-year-old debutant Fletcher Boyd completed a hammering.
Aberdeen move seventh, top of the bottom six, while Hibs slip to ninth.
"I had the backing of the club and we just missed out on the top six," said Montgomery.
"That's obviously difficult but with that comes a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure, a lot of negativity. People have taken many different things from that statement. The players are going to feel what they're going to feel.
"I'm confident. The club's in a transition. Nothing's changed since that statement came out."
There is always a risk that these end-of-season games, with little to play for, can turn into exhibition matches.
The first half hour threatened exactly that. No urgency, no physicality, no spark.
Then, Clarkson sprayed a magnificent ball out to the left. He received it back, 20 yards from goal, and arced in a beautiful strike that was out of Jojo Wollacott’s reach.
That sparked Aberdeen’s dominance, and Hibs’ wilt into submission.
Minutes later, the Dons had their second. Nicky Devlin robbed Jordan Obita on the right and found Junior Hoilett, who in turn supplied Polvara, and he swept the ball into the top corner.
Surprisingly, there were no changes at the break for Hibs, and they started the second half the same way they had ended the first - on the back foot.
Aberdeen, meanwhile, were full of confidence and their third - a 26th of the season for Miovski - was perhaps the pick of the bunch.
Hoilett received on the left, drove at the defence and slipped a cross inside. Clarkson ran towards the front post, dummied perfectly, and allowed the ball to roll to Miovski behind him, with the striker tucking it into the corner.
Hibs had chances through Myziane Maolida and substitute Adam Le Fondre, but Aberdeen were largely in cruise control and wrapped things up with a fairytale ending.
Boyd, part of Aberdeen's youth side that were crowned Under-18 league champions during the week, smashed home from close range in the dying seconds to put the icing on the cake.
Image source, SNS
