JAMIE MCGRATH scored inside seven minutes of his Hibernian debut as David Gray’s side secured a first-leg draw in Denmark, while fellow Ireland international Troy Parrott was on target for AZ Alkmaar.
Former Aberdeen midfielder McGrath opened the scoring from a free-kick as Hibs drew 1-1 against Midtjylland in the Europa League second qualifying round.
McGrath spotted a gap at the near post as the home goalkeeper awaited a cross after the Republic of Ireland international had won a free-kick on the left wing.
His effort was clawed out from behind the line as Hibs delighted more than 1,000 noisy away fans following a bright start.
Hibs were 18 minutes from claiming an away win, but Aral Simsir curled home from a 25-yard free-kick to leave the tie all square ahead of next Thursday’s second leg at Easter Road.
Gray’s side started brightly in Herning, and Martin Boyle came close on several occasions before McGrath’s early opener.
Boyle was close to connecting with Chris Cadden’s cross, then saw a shot deflected past the post before heading wide from a glorious chance from Dylan Levitt’s delivery.
Hibs were soon in front and then survived a series of set-pieces before Boyle forced an error in the home defence that led to Kieron Bowie having a shot blocked from 10 yards out.
Goalkeeper Jordan Smith was untroubled in the first half, but Hibs had a let-off when Franculino Dju blazed over from 15 yards as the visiting defence backtracked amid a counter-attack.
Boyle thought he had put Hibs two ahead in the 41st minute when he fired inside the goalkeeper’s near post but he was half a yard offside when Bowie played him through.
Josh Mulligan tried to emulate McGrath’s debut goal 10 minutes into the second half, but the former Dundee midfielder saw his 25-yard strike held.
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Smith showed adept handling to deal with two long-range efforts and saw Pedro Bravo’s curling shot deflected just wide as Hibs continued to frustrate last year’s Danish league runners-up.
But the hosts got their breakthrough after Jack Iredale was booked for a trip 25 yards from his goal. Simsir curled the free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
Boyle had a half chance to put Hibs back in front following good work from Mulligan, but the forward was quickly crowded out and his shot was blocked.
Smith soon kept Hibs level with a close-range stop from Kevin Mbabu, the former Newcastle player who had a loan spell with Rangers in 2015 but failed to make an appearance for the Light Blues.
There were four bookings in the bad-tempered closing stages as Hibs held on to take a positive result back to Edinburgh.
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin applauds the fans following the game. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Zac Sapsford was Dundee United’s deadly debutant with the only goal of the game in their Conference League tie against UNA Strassen at Tannadice.
In Jim Goodwin’s first venture into Europe as boss, his side found the Luxembourg minnows no easy opponent in the first half of their second qualifying round clash.
However, attacker Sapsford, one of seven new faces in the home line-up, fired in from outside the box in the 47th minute and in the end it was enough to make the difference.
United’s appearance in Europe was a reward for their fourth-placed finish last season, and although their lead is slender, they will hope they have enough to progress in the return game next week.
Goodwin’s squad had been bolstered by 11 new players, and Yevhen Kucherenko, Bert Esselink, Krisztian Keresztes, Sapsford, Iurie Iovu, Isaac Pappoe and Ivan Dolcek all started and, significantly, there were no Scots in the team.
Former Ireland U21 international Will Ferry captained the Taysiders in the absence of injured defender Ross Graham, recently appointed skipper.
There was a healthy crowd inside Tannadice, which created a terrific atmosphere, albeit there was a hush in the eighth minute when UNA Strassen, who finished 18 points behind champions FC Differdange 03 in their domestic league, almost stole the lead.
Daryl Myre escaped free of the home defence down the left, and Kucherenko was lobbed as he raced out of his goal, but the ball went wide of the far post.
United should have scored when Sapsford, at the edge of the box, cleverly played in Vicko Sevelj, who only had Ozcan to beat, but his drive was saved by the diving keeper, and the ball flew to safety, with Sevelj minutes later sending a long-distance effort just past the post.
As the Tannadide men stepped up the pressure, Ozcan made a fine save from a Keresztes header following a corner, but half time arrived goalless.
However, the home side got the breakthrough two minutes into the second half when Australian striker Sapsford, signed from Western Sydney Wanderers, took a pass from Dolcek, brilliantly turned his defender 25 yards from goal and drilled a low shot past Ozcan.
It was exactly the boost the Taysiders needed, and they almost got a second from a Keresztes header, Ozcan acrobatically turning the ball over for a corner that came to nothing.
In the 72nd minute, Ozcan pushed an angled drive from substitute Owen Stirton onto the post and behind for a corner, but again United failed to capitalise.
The visitors sensed there might be something for them in the game going into the final stages, and every entry into the United box had the home fans on edge, albeit Tannadice substitute Panutche Camara had a drive cleared away from goal by one of the many white-shirted defenders blocking the goal.
At the other end, in added time, United keeper Kucherenko had to save from Matheus De Souza, otherwise the outcome would have been very different.
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Ireland international Jamie McGrath scores on Hibs debut, Troy Parrott on target for AZ
Updated at 23.15
JAMIE MCGRATH scored inside seven minutes of his Hibernian debut as David Gray’s side secured a first-leg draw in Denmark, while fellow Ireland international Troy Parrott was on target for AZ Alkmaar.
Former Aberdeen midfielder McGrath opened the scoring from a free-kick as Hibs drew 1-1 against Midtjylland in the Europa League second qualifying round.
McGrath spotted a gap at the near post as the home goalkeeper awaited a cross after the Republic of Ireland international had won a free-kick on the left wing.
His effort was clawed out from behind the line as Hibs delighted more than 1,000 noisy away fans following a bright start.
Hibs were 18 minutes from claiming an away win, but Aral Simsir curled home from a 25-yard free-kick to leave the tie all square ahead of next Thursday’s second leg at Easter Road.
Gray’s side started brightly in Herning, and Martin Boyle came close on several occasions before McGrath’s early opener.
Boyle was close to connecting with Chris Cadden’s cross, then saw a shot deflected past the post before heading wide from a glorious chance from Dylan Levitt’s delivery.
Hibs were soon in front and then survived a series of set-pieces before Boyle forced an error in the home defence that led to Kieron Bowie having a shot blocked from 10 yards out.
Goalkeeper Jordan Smith was untroubled in the first half, but Hibs had a let-off when Franculino Dju blazed over from 15 yards as the visiting defence backtracked amid a counter-attack.
Boyle thought he had put Hibs two ahead in the 41st minute when he fired inside the goalkeeper’s near post but he was half a yard offside when Bowie played him through.
Josh Mulligan tried to emulate McGrath’s debut goal 10 minutes into the second half, but the former Dundee midfielder saw his 25-yard strike held.
Smith showed adept handling to deal with two long-range efforts and saw Pedro Bravo’s curling shot deflected just wide as Hibs continued to frustrate last year’s Danish league runners-up.
But the hosts got their breakthrough after Jack Iredale was booked for a trip 25 yards from his goal. Simsir curled the free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
Boyle had a half chance to put Hibs back in front following good work from Mulligan, but the forward was quickly crowded out and his shot was blocked.
Smith soon kept Hibs level with a close-range stop from Kevin Mbabu, the former Newcastle player who had a loan spell with Rangers in 2015 but failed to make an appearance for the Light Blues.
There were four bookings in the bad-tempered closing stages as Hibs held on to take a positive result back to Edinburgh.
Elsewhere, Zac Sapsford was Dundee United’s deadly debutant with the only goal of the game in their Conference League tie against UNA Strassen at Tannadice.
In Jim Goodwin’s first venture into Europe as boss, his side found the Luxembourg minnows no easy opponent in the first half of their second qualifying round clash.
However, attacker Sapsford, one of seven new faces in the home line-up, fired in from outside the box in the 47th minute and in the end it was enough to make the difference.
United’s appearance in Europe was a reward for their fourth-placed finish last season, and although their lead is slender, they will hope they have enough to progress in the return game next week.
Goodwin’s squad had been bolstered by 11 new players, and Yevhen Kucherenko, Bert Esselink, Krisztian Keresztes, Sapsford, Iurie Iovu, Isaac Pappoe and Ivan Dolcek all started and, significantly, there were no Scots in the team.
Former Ireland U21 international Will Ferry captained the Taysiders in the absence of injured defender Ross Graham, recently appointed skipper.
There was a healthy crowd inside Tannadice, which created a terrific atmosphere, albeit there was a hush in the eighth minute when UNA Strassen, who finished 18 points behind champions FC Differdange 03 in their domestic league, almost stole the lead.
Daryl Myre escaped free of the home defence down the left, and Kucherenko was lobbed as he raced out of his goal, but the ball went wide of the far post.
United should have scored when Sapsford, at the edge of the box, cleverly played in Vicko Sevelj, who only had Ozcan to beat, but his drive was saved by the diving keeper, and the ball flew to safety, with Sevelj minutes later sending a long-distance effort just past the post.
As the Tannadide men stepped up the pressure, Ozcan made a fine save from a Keresztes header following a corner, but half time arrived goalless.
However, the home side got the breakthrough two minutes into the second half when Australian striker Sapsford, signed from Western Sydney Wanderers, took a pass from Dolcek, brilliantly turned his defender 25 yards from goal and drilled a low shot past Ozcan.
It was exactly the boost the Taysiders needed, and they almost got a second from a Keresztes header, Ozcan acrobatically turning the ball over for a corner that came to nothing.
In the 72nd minute, Ozcan pushed an angled drive from substitute Owen Stirton onto the post and behind for a corner, but again United failed to capitalise.
The visitors sensed there might be something for them in the game going into the final stages, and every entry into the United box had the home fans on edge, albeit Tannadice substitute Panutche Camara had a drive cleared away from goal by one of the many white-shirted defenders blocking the goal.
At the other end, in added time, United keeper Kucherenko had to save from Matheus De Souza, otherwise the outcome would have been very different.
Finally, Parrott’s 16th-minute clipped finish was not enough for AZ Alkmaar.
The Dutch side were beaten 4-3 by Finnish team Ilves in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League second round qualifier.
AZ, who finished fifth in the Eredivisie last season, will still be hopeful of progressing, as they host next week’s return leg.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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