Hibs shining in Europe and at home

HIBERNIAN'S European adventure this season has come to an end, with the campaign not going quite to plan.

Fans had hoped for a stint in the league phase of either the Europa League or the Conference League, to mark the club’s 150th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of its first foray into European competition.

While ‘league phase’ European participation wasn’t achieved, the six qualifying matches played by the green jerseys since July saw Hibernian face well-known quality continental sides and compete superbly against them. Were it not for some bad luck and a few goalkeeping errors, Hibs would still be in Europe.

Denmark’s FC Midtjylland stood between the Hibees and a place in the Europa League. Hibs drew 1-1 with the Danes away—Jamie McGrath getting on the scoresheet. They then took the Scandinavian side to extra-time at Easter Road—with Rocky Bushiri netting for Hibs—but lost the second-leg to a stunning last minute strike, going out 3-2 on aggregate. Thus the Leith men dropped into the Conference League qualifiers.

The big-name opponents kept coming. A trip to take on Partizan Belgrade in Serbia was next and that match saw David Gray’s side pull-off simply the best away performance in Europe by a Hibs side since the 1980s—a Martin Boyle brace helping the team to an unexpected 2-0 victory. The Gravediggers were no mugs, though, and after 90 minutes of the return tie at Easter Road, had won 3-1 and levelled the tie—a stunning long-range half-volley from Kieron Bowie keeping Hibs in it. Chris Cadden’s goal in extra-time sent the Hibees through 4-3 on aggregate.

Then, only Polish giants Legia Warsaw stood between the Hibees and qualification. Stupid mistakes in the first leg at Easter Road looked to have the Hibees dead and buried, 2-0 down, but a late Josh Mulligan strike kept hope alive for the second-leg in Poland. Those hopes looked dashed when Legia went 1-0 up early on, in front of a huge home crowd in Warsaw, yet Hibs rallied with three goals in 11 second-half minutes, from Bushiri, Boyle and a wonderful solo-effort from Miguel Chaiwa. Hibs were in the driving seat at that point, but an injury time goal for Legia sent the tie to extra-time, 4-4 on aggregate. The Cabbage deserved at least a penalty-shoot-out, but were denied it by a strike in extra-time from Legia’s Rajovic, ultimately losing the tie 5-4 on aggregate.

Hibs’ performance in Warsaw was a rare bright spot for Scottish clubs in Europe that week, as Aberdeen, Rangers and Celtic were all humiliated in their respective ties. Hibs, though they lost, were the only side that did Scotland proud. Glorious failure is what Scottish teams do best, yet Hibs holding their own against three such top continental sides—given what a shambles the club was just a year ago—is something worth shouting about.

On the domestic front, Hibs went into the international break in third place in the table, unbeaten, but having drawn twice at home—Kilmarnock and St Mirren—and won away against Dundee.

In the League Cup, a narrow victory over Livingston in the last 16 has set up a quarter-final away tie against struggling Rangers at Ibrox. Hibs can win that match. The last time that a Hibs side went to Ibrox on League Cup quarter-final business was in 1996, when they were thrashed 4-0 and even missed a penalty, after a cowardly display in what was Alex Miler’s penultimate match in charge. Hibs fans will hope that their European-heroes are ready to produce the goods once more, when it really matters.