GLASGOW (AFP) - Hibernian hammered Kilmarnock 5-1 to lift the Scottish League Cup at Hampden Stadium on Sunday - their first trophy in 16 years.

Rob Jones headed the Edinburgh side ahead in the first half before doubles for Moroccan forward Abdessalam Benjelloun and Steven Fletcher after the break decided the destination of the first silverware of the Scottish season.

Gordon Greer briefly gave hope to Jim Jefferies team to make it 3-1 but in the end it was scant consolation to the Ayrshire club's support in the near capacity 50,162 crowd.

Hibs manager John Collins was thrilled for his players and the club's support.

He said: "It's a tremendous feeling and the boys deserved it. In all fairness I didn't think we played that well in the first half and were fortunate to go in to the break one goal up.

"We picked it up in the second half, got the second goal and then the confidence grew and we started to pass it more.

"To score five goals in a cup final, well you don't get much better than that.

"It was a great moment for me at the end to see all our fans smiling, singing and dancing as 16 years is a long time to go without a trophy."

Jefferies, meanwhile, thought his players were unlucky to have lost by such a margin.

The Killie boss said: "I didn't think it was a 5-1 game. Even when we pulled one back to make it 3-1 I thought we could get to 3-2 and they would have panicked.

"We pushed men forward but were caught out and the fifth was just a freak goal so I thought the scoreline was a little bit harsh.

"But the lads have been fantastic. We have made the top six in the league with three games to go before the split and made a major cup final so I hope this result does not cloud their achievements this season."

In near blizzard conditions at Hampden Kilmarnock had started brighter but it was Hibs who took the lead in the 27th minute.

David Murphy's deep corner found Rob Jones at the back post and the big central defender sent a powerful header past Killie keeper Alan Combe into the back of the net.

Hibs increased their advantage in the 59th minute.

Left-back Steven Whittaker passed forward to Benjelloun who carried the ball towards goal before curling a clinical left-foot shot from 18-yards beyond Combe into the left-hand corner of the net.

The result looked beyond doubt in the 66th minute Hibs when Scott Brown split the Ayrshire team's defence with a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Fletcher who did not break stride before firing low past Combe from 16-yards into the corner of the net.

Kilmarnock, however, grabbed a glimmer of hope in the 78th minute.

Gary Locke crossed from the left to Colin Nish who headed back across goal for Greer to nod home from six-yards.

But in the 85th minute Hibs restored their three goal advantage.

Fletcher played the ball inside from the left to Benjelloun and he took a touch before firing under the body of Combe.

And two minutes later the Killie goalkeeper gifted Hibs with a fifth when he completely fluffed an attempted clearance, succeeding only in playing the ball straight to Fletcher who gratefully rolled the ball into the net to clinch the trophy they had won in 1991.