Annan Athletic — Hibernian U21: 2:1, Challenge Cup

Annan Athletic took a 2:1 win over Hibernian U21 in the fifth match of the Call Cup group stage, played on 2026-09-26. C. Maxwell opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before C. O'Donnell levelled 14 minutes later, and L. Jimenez found the winner in stoppage time at 84'. The result ended Hibernian's run of five straight defeats.

Maxwell's goal came from a sharp finish inside the box, and it set the tone for a match where the hosts controlled territory. O'Donnell's equaliser was a deflected effort that beat the goalkeeper at his near post, and by then Annan had already stretched Hibernian's back line. The visitors never quite recovered their shape after that second goal.

We had called for a home win with 66% confidence before kickoff, and the pattern of play backed that up. Annan pressed high and forced Hibernian into long balls from the start, which meant the visitors rarely built anything out of possession. To be fair, the U21 side showed more composure in the second half, but the damage was already done.

Jimenez's goal was a low drive from the edge of the area that slipped through a crowd of legs. It came late, and it was the moment the match had been waiting for. The hosts had ground out the win despite creating nothing clear-cut all afternoon.

Annan recorded 106 attacks to Hibernian's 63, and 8 shots on target compared to 4, but both sides created zero big chances. Possession sat at 0.69 for the hosts, though the accuracy of their shots was only half. The statistics tell you the hosts dominated the middle third, but the match was decided by those three moments, not the numbers.