Livingston gave their Bank of Scotland Premier League survival hopes a massive boost with a confident win at Hibernian.

A terrific display by the visitors was capped by goals from Derek Lilley, recent signing Hassan Kachloul and influential midfielder Burton O'Brien.

Livi were still left at the foot of the SPL table after Grant Brebner scored a late winner for Dundee United against Hearts.

But the manner of the win will have provided a huge confidence boost for the final five games of the campaign for the West Lothian club.

Livi adopted a more direct approach from the start and it almost paid off in the opening stages.

In the 12th minute, Lilley let fly with a venomous left-foot drive which unnerved Hibs keeper Simon Brown before dipping over the crossbar.

Livi's performance belied their lowly league placing and, indeed, had it not been for the outstretched foot of Hibs keeper Brown, they would have gone in at half-time a goal up.

Colin McMenamin latched onto a pass deep inside the Hibs box following a flowing move by the visitors and Brown blocked the effort with his right boot.

Livingston had served notice of their intentions before the break and, four minutes after the re-start, they took a deserved lead.

O'Brien was the creator, beautifully nut-megging Steven Whittaker on the far touchline before delivering the ball across the goalmouth for the lurking Lilley.

The striker's mis-hit shot might not have beaten keeper Brown, but Kachloul dummied the ball just in front of him and leaving the Easter Road shot-stopper confused and beaten.

Suddenly, Easter Road was a nervous place and Livingston seemed to be lifted by the goal and the tension emanating from the home fans.

Hibs managerial duo Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus were locked in talks by the dug-out wondering how to change the tactics but, before they could make any alterations, Livingston were further ahead.

An O'Brien corner was met first time by the unmarked Kachloul and he managed to steer the ball home from close range as the Hibs defence stood static.

Mowbray's response was to throw on Amadou Konte and Sam Morrow for Stephen Glass and Steven Fletcher but they could not win any ground back.

The visitors capped a terrific afternoon when O'Brien side-footed the ball home from close range to make it 3-0 in the 87th minute after Lilley cut the ball back to him across goal.

Teams

Hibernian Simon Brown, Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, Murphy, Fletcher (Konte 62), Scott Brown, Glass (Morrow 62), Shiels (Thomson 29), O'Connor, Riordan.

Subs Not Used: Alistair Brown, Hogg, Antonio Murray, Sproule.

Booked: Scott Brown.

Livingston McKenzie, McNamee, Deloumeaux, Dorado, Vincze, McMenamin, O'Brien, Bahoken, Dair, Kachloul (McPake 86), Lilley (Easton 90).

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Brittain, Rubio, Horvath, Snodgrass.

Booked: O'Brien, Kachloul.

Goals: Lilley 49, Kachloul 61, O'Brien 87.

Att: 11,047

Ref: C Mackay (Scotland).