John Robertson
Former Ross County manager on BBC Sportsound

By the way, you will not see many penalties better than that.

I don't care how many goalkeepers you have in, they won't save that.

Hibs now have complete control of the game.

Referee Matthew MacDermid has spotted some skullduggery at a corner and the visitors have a penalty.

Replays show a clear shirt pull on Josh Kerr from Akil Wright.

Felix Passlack moves over to the left flank to knock in a free-kick.

Jack Iredale gets his head to it but can only sent the ball wide of the County goal.

John Robertson
Former Ross County manager on BBC Sportsound

It's a brilliant header, and I have to say, Felix Passlack is superb there.

He goes down the right wing, he gets to the byeline and manages to dig out a lovely dink.

Thibault Kildje somehow manages to get his head on it, and it is brilliantly placed.

Lewis Strapp gets forward for County and delivers a lovely cross from the left.

Brian Graham leaps for the ball but Jack Iredale gets in before him to make an important headed interception.

A lot of head tennis in the middle of the pitch, with no penalty box action yet.

Image source, SNS

Away we go in Dingwall.

Andy Halliday
Former Rangers midfielder on BBC Sportsound

The criticism hasn't come because Hibs finished third and fifth in the league, it's the style of play. That's what you keep hearing from fans.

They should win four or five of these next five games and if they don't I do think it could be the end, but David Gray has been in this position before.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Starks Park

Dougie Imrie is doing an amazing job at Raith Rovers this season. Despite having a number of key players missing through injury, a victory today would take them to joint top of the Championship.

But Arbroath have also been going along very nicely under co-managers Colin Hamilton and David Gold.

The recruitment has been first class at Gayfield and the addition of Hibs loanees Rudi Molotnikov and Jacob MacIntyre will only bolster their chances of success.

Back when County boss Stuart Kettlewell was playing, the Dingwall side were a real bogey team for Hibs, going undefeated in the first six fixtures the clubs played between March 2010 and August 2013.

Hibs head coach David Gray explains his six changes, saying "some of them are enforced".

"Grant Hanley has not made it, Marko [Ivezic] is ill, Jordan Obita's got a long-term injury. Jamie McGrath picked up a knock as well, hopefully he's not out long term, we'll see how he goes.

"It's a strong team, strong bench as well. It's an opportunity to get to a semi-final and that's where we're at today."

Gray is also wary of Ross County's threat, saying their squad, management team and infrastructure shows they are perhaps stronger than third-tier level.

Image source, SNS

Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell tells BBC Scotland: "We're expecting a big crowd, a boisterous away support.

"We've had disappointment for the last while but I feel we've shown shoots of recovery from that. I think today becomes a good test for us to see where we're at. At this stage of a competition you know the opposition will be well up for it.

"What we feel we've been able to do is really concentrate on what we want to be. I'm not trying to play anything down at all. From my point of view, I just want to go and show our absolute best version, I think that version can go and compete against any team.

"I know I sound a wee bit antagonistic when I say this but I'm fed up of egomaniacs in football. Everybody wants to pat themselves on the back and make it about themselves, none of this is about me. I want to see a good performance from individuals and the collective.

"I want players to go and show they want to play for this football club and put their bodies on the line.

"There's a big carrot being dangled at the end of this game. We've got a huge hurdle in front of us but the players look as if they're well up for it."

Image source, SNS

We all know David Gray made up for that 2016 final loss to Ross County by scoring a dramatic late winner against Rangers later that season to end Hibs 114-year wait for a third Scottish Cup success.

But it may have been forgotten that he was caretaker manager when Hibs lost out to Celtic in the 2021 League Cup final.

Hibs took the lead through Paul Hanlon but their fans were still celebrating when Kyogo knocked in the first of his Hampden brace.

Of course, Ross County's finest moment came in this competition when they beat Hibs to lift the League Cup in March 2016.

Alex Schalk was the Staggies hero, grabbing a 90th-minute goal at Hampden to make it 2-1.

County were a division above Hibs on that occasion.

Michael Gardyne opened the scoring that day, with Liam Fontaine levelling on the stroke of half-time for a Hibs team that included head coach David Gray.

Image source, SNS

Over the years, Hibs have struggled in Dingwall.

They are without a win in their past five visits, with four of those games ending all square.

The most recent League Cup meeting in the Highlands was a 0-0 in 2017, with County taking the bonus point in a group stage penalty shootout.