Boss David Gray saw his Hibs side survive a nervy night at Easter Road to overcome minnows Malisheva in the Conference League. Owen Elding, Felix Passlack, Nathan Lowe and Martin Boyle netted to overcome the 2-0 deficit before a late goal from the visitors had nerves jangling with extra time looming.
Early onslaught levels the aggregate
The hosts were fired up after being criticised for their woeful display in Kosovo seven days earlier. They wasted little time in making amends. Within seconds, Boyle wriggled free in the box but pulled his right-footed drive wide. The pressure continued as Boyle played a clever reverse pass to Elding, who lashed a shot through goalkeeper Llir Avdyli to open the scoring after 15 minutes.
It got better six minutes later as Passlack brought Hibs level across the two legs. Lowe attempted to get on the end of the German’s low pass into the area, and when the ball rolled back to him, Passlack bundled it into the net from an angle.
Hibs take control before late scare
Events in the first leg became a distant memory as rampant Hibs made it three in the 35th minute. Boyle’s deep cross to the back post was headed back into the mix by Elding, and with the keeper following the flight of the ball, Lowe nodded into the unguarded net. Boyle gave Hibs breathing space with a stunning solo effort in the 57th minute. After plucking a high ball out of the sky, the Australia international showed great close ball control to weave a path towards goal before fizzing a low drive past Avdyli.
Omer Bajraktari netted for Malisheva to have the away side dreaming of extra time, but the Premiership side held on.
