A brace from 17-year-old Hibernian substitute Steven Fletcher and Derek Riordan's double gave the Edinburgh men their first Bank of Scotland Premier League win at East End Park in almost 14 years.

Pars midfielder Barry Nicholson had fired the home side into a 1-0 half-time lead but when Riordan deservedly equalised for the visitors after the break it was all one-way traffic.

Fletcher, on for Scott Brown on the hour mark, fired in two goals in the space of six minutes before Riordan notched his double to give Hibs' quest for third place a welcome boost.

But for a long while it looked like Tony Mowbray's side, who missed a series of chances before they eventually scored, would pay for their wastefulness.

It was the home side who took to the newly-laid plastic pitch the better but in the seventh minute Hibs should have scored when Dean Shiels' astute pass from midfield was flicked on by Garry O'Connor, who found Stephen Glass running clean through on goal.

However, just as the former Aberdeen player shaped to pull the trigger from 10 yards out, Pars defender Aaron Labonte came in with a tremendous saving tackle.

Moments later, Riordan flashed an angled shot across the Dunfermline six-yard box after being played in cleverly by O'Connor.

Riordan then turned provider down the right channel and this time O'Connor blazed his shot from tight on the by-line high over the bar.

In the 22nd minute Nicholson tested Hibs keeper Simon Brown with a 25-yard drive which was tipped over the bar for a corner by the Englishman, although the Pars failed to make anything of the set-piece.

The visitors then had two great chances to grab the breakthrough but missed out both times. O'Connor's defence-splitting pass found full-back Steven Whittaker unmarked inside the Dunfermline penalty area but he failed to control the ball and was forced wide.

However, when the Easter Road youngster cut the ball back to Dean Shiels, the midfielder mishit his shot from 14 yards and the ball trundled wide of Derek Stillie's post.

But in the 43rd minute, after Whittaker lost possession to Darren Young, the home side broke up the park and scored the opener.

Pars striker Simon Donnelly picked up Young's pass and slipped the ball to Nicholson at the edge of the penalty area, and the former Rangers player struck a sweet shot into the corner of the net.

Hibs had paid the price for missing several good chances but after the interval the visitors set about getting back on level terms with impressive zeal.

Shiels had the ball in the net within three minutes of the restart after latching onto a Glass header but the Irishman was correctly ruled offside.

Hibs should have equalised in the 56th minute after a great right-footed pass by Glass found Riordan running past the static home defence and through on goal.

When Pars keeper Stillie raced forward the striker rounded him easily at the edge of the box but his goal-bound shot was blocked yards from the line by Dunfermline defender Andy Tod.

Dunfermline applied some pressure on the hour mark to signify that they were still a danger but in the 66th minute the equaliser eventually arrived.

Glass found Whittaker wide on the right and the youngster's tremendous cross to the back post found Riordan, who bulleted his header past Stillie for his 19th goal of the season.

And in the 69th minute Hibs were ahead after Stillie dropped a David Murphy cross under pressure from O'Connor.

As the Pars players claimed a foul, Fletcher gleefully bundled the ball into the empty net.

In the 75th minute the visitors made certain of the three points when Murphy found Fletcher on the left of the penalty area and the 17-year-old turned and slammed the ball into the net.

Six minutes later Riordan added his own second, and Hibs' fourth, with some clever play at the edge of the box, beating Skerla twice before firing past Stillie.

In the closing stages Hibs were running riot, Shiels missed a great chance to make it 5-1 when he failed to beat Stillie in a one-on-one situation. But by that time the Hibs fans knew the points were safely in the bag.

Teams

Dunfermline Stillie, Tod, Scott Thomson, Skerla, Darren Young, Derek Young (Hunt 74), Nicholson, Labonte (Ross 32), Christiansen, Donnelly, Mehmet.

Subs Not Used: Langfield, McKeown, Campbell, Craig Wilson, McGlinchey.

Goals: Nicholson 43.

Hibernian Simon Brown, Whittaker, Caldwell (McCluskey 61), Smith, Murphy, Scott Brown (Fletcher 61), Shiels, Ian Murray, Glass, O'Connor (Konte 76), Riordan.

Subs Not Used: Shields, McDonald, Alistair Brown, Sproule.

Booked: Whittaker.

Goals: Riordan 66, Fletcher 69, 75, Riordan 81.

Att: 7,204

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).