HIBERNIAN MADE LIGHT work of wiping out a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Malisheva as they outclassed the Kosovan lightweights to triumph 4-1 in a largely one-sided Conference League second qualifying round second leg at Easter Road.
David Gray’s players looked eager to atone for their humbling in Pristina as they came flying out of the traps and levelled the tie with strikes from Owen Elding and Felix Passlack in the opening 15 minutes.
Further goals from Nathan Lowe and Martin Boyle took the tie away from the bedraggled visitors, who scored late on through Omer Bajraktari, as Hibs closed out a 4-3 aggregate victory to set up a third qualifying round meeting with Macedonian side Shkendija.
Gray – heavily criticised by supporters after the first leg – made two changes to his starting XI as summer signings Jason Kerr and Adam Mayor replaced Jack Iredale and Grant Hanley.
The hosts signalled their intent after just 20 seconds when captain Boyle drove wide from 12 yards out. Jordan Obita then saw a ferocious strike charged down from just outside the box before Ireland call-up Elding had a shot deflected wide.
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Seconds after Josh Mulligan crashed a shot off the underside of the bar from just inside the box, Hibs made a ninth-minute breakthrough.
Boyle slipped a nicely weighted pass into the box for Elding, who powered an angled, left-footed shot beyond Ilir Avdyli from eight yards out.
The Kosovans were struggling to contain the fired-up hosts, and their lead in the tie was wiped out by the 15th minute.
After Lowe was unable to get a shot away from Passlack’s delivery, the Englishman scrambled the ball back into the path of the German, who drilled home from eight yards.
Boyle then smacked a shot off the bar in the 19th minute as the Hibees sensed an opportunity to turn the screw against a side who appeared out of their depth.
The embattled visitors suffered another blow when they had attacker Vusal Isgandarli stretchered off. Insult was added to injury for Malisheva seconds later, in the 35th minute, when Hibs went ahead in the tie with their third of the night.
Boyle’s inswinging cross from the left was headed back across goal by Elding and on-loan Stoke forward Lowe, who had missed two big chances in the away leg, nodded in from close range.
The Hibees remained in the ascendancy after the break and Boyle fired home from the edge of the box in the 57th minute.
Bajraktari’s powerful strike in the 83rd minute gave the Kosovans a glimmer of hope but Hibs held firm to banish the negativity of the past week ahead of Sunday’s Premiership opener at home to Motherwell.
Dubliner Warren O’Hora also played the full game for Hibs.
Meanwhile, Johannson’s flying start as Motherwell manager continued as the Steelmen cruised into the next round of the Conference League qualifiers with a 3-0 victory in the Faroe Islands.
Goals from Lukas Fadinger, Regan Charles-Cook and Dylan Williams secured a 5-0 aggregate triumph against HB Torshavn.
Motherwell will face HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round after the Finns recorded an 8-0 aggregate win over Coleraine.
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Owen Elding on target as Hibernian overturn first-leg deficit to march on in Europe
Hibernian 4
Malisheva 1
Hibernian win 4-3 on aggregate
HIBERNIAN MADE LIGHT work of wiping out a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Malisheva as they outclassed the Kosovan lightweights to triumph 4-1 in a largely one-sided Conference League second qualifying round second leg at Easter Road.
David Gray’s players looked eager to atone for their humbling in Pristina as they came flying out of the traps and levelled the tie with strikes from Owen Elding and Felix Passlack in the opening 15 minutes.
Further goals from Nathan Lowe and Martin Boyle took the tie away from the bedraggled visitors, who scored late on through Omer Bajraktari, as Hibs closed out a 4-3 aggregate victory to set up a third qualifying round meeting with Macedonian side Shkendija.
Gray – heavily criticised by supporters after the first leg – made two changes to his starting XI as summer signings Jason Kerr and Adam Mayor replaced Jack Iredale and Grant Hanley.
The hosts signalled their intent after just 20 seconds when captain Boyle drove wide from 12 yards out. Jordan Obita then saw a ferocious strike charged down from just outside the box before Ireland call-up Elding had a shot deflected wide.
Seconds after Josh Mulligan crashed a shot off the underside of the bar from just inside the box, Hibs made a ninth-minute breakthrough.
Boyle slipped a nicely weighted pass into the box for Elding, who powered an angled, left-footed shot beyond Ilir Avdyli from eight yards out.
The Kosovans were struggling to contain the fired-up hosts, and their lead in the tie was wiped out by the 15th minute.
After Lowe was unable to get a shot away from Passlack’s delivery, the Englishman scrambled the ball back into the path of the German, who drilled home from eight yards.
Boyle then smacked a shot off the bar in the 19th minute as the Hibees sensed an opportunity to turn the screw against a side who appeared out of their depth.
The embattled visitors suffered another blow when they had attacker Vusal Isgandarli stretchered off. Insult was added to injury for Malisheva seconds later, in the 35th minute, when Hibs went ahead in the tie with their third of the night.
Boyle’s inswinging cross from the left was headed back across goal by Elding and on-loan Stoke forward Lowe, who had missed two big chances in the away leg, nodded in from close range.
The Hibees remained in the ascendancy after the break and Boyle fired home from the edge of the box in the 57th minute.
Bajraktari’s powerful strike in the 83rd minute gave the Kosovans a glimmer of hope but Hibs held firm to banish the negativity of the past week ahead of Sunday’s Premiership opener at home to Motherwell.
Dubliner Warren O’Hora also played the full game for Hibs.
Meanwhile, Johannson’s flying start as Motherwell manager continued as the Steelmen cruised into the next round of the Conference League qualifiers with a 3-0 victory in the Faroe Islands.
Goals from Lukas Fadinger, Regan Charles-Cook and Dylan Williams secured a 5-0 aggregate triumph against HB Torshavn.
Motherwell will face HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round after the Finns recorded an 8-0 aggregate win over Coleraine.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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