Hibs Survive Thriller Against Partizan to Reach Europa Conference League Play-Offs
Hibs secured a dramatic victory against Partizan Belgrade, booking their place in the Europa Conference League play-offs after a tense encounter at Easter Road. Chris Cadden’s extra-time goal sealed a 4-3 aggregate win, sparking jubilant scenes amongst the Hibernian faithful. The Scottish side will now face Legia Warsaw, who dropped into the competition after their Europa League defeat to AEK Larnaca.
The match was far from straightforward for Hibs. Despite holding a comfortable two-goal advantage from the first leg in Serbia, Partizan quickly erased the deficit within the first half, largely due to errors from Hibs goalkeeper Jordan Smith. Milan Vukotic’s long-range effort slipped through Smith’s grasp, and Jovan Milosevic’s shot squirmed between his legs, putting the home side under immense pressure.
Bowie’s Brilliance and Partizan’s Fightback
Just when Hibs looked to be crumbling, Kieron Bowie produced a moment of magic. The young striker displayed incredible technique to control a dropping ball before unleashing a stunning 35-yard strike that flew past the Partizan goalkeeper via the post.
Partizan’s task became even harder when Nikola Simic received a second yellow card for a foul on Bowie, reducing the visitors to ten men. However, the Serbian side refused to surrender, and Andrej Kostic’s 96th-minute goal forced the game into extra time, leaving the Hibs supporters on the edge of their seats.
Cadden Seals the Victory
With both teams visibly fatigued, Hibs found the decisive goal early in extra time. A shot from Josh Mulligan was parried into the path of Chris Cadden, who calmly slotted the ball home, sending Hibs through to the play-offs.
Gray’s Reaction: Relief and Praise
A relieved Hibs manager David Gray admitted the match was an emotional rollercoaster. “I enjoyed the goals tonight actually,” he joked. “I think it’s just because of the emotion, how the game went, everything about it. Trying to analyse it will be difficult, but ultimately it’s a brilliant result and performance to come through that tie over two legs.”
Gray also emphasized the importance of the first-leg victory in Belgrade. “One thing I said to the players, I massively played down the away leg and the magnitude of that result to go over there and win 2-0 in an atmosphere and environment like that where they probably haven’t been before. We played it down knowing it was only halfway in the tie, but I’m delighted for the players and I think we fully deserve to be in the next round. All in all, a fantastic night’s work.”
Bowie’s Impact: More Than Just a Goal
Gray was effusive in his praise for Kieron Bowie, whose goal was a pivotal moment in the match. “It’s a good clearance,” he quipped before adding, “No, as I say, take his goal out of it, he was exceptional tonight. Everything he did from the first second onwards, he was a real handful.”
He continued, “Everything we’ve spoken about Kieron before was there again to see. His goal was a special goal for a special night. It was great a goal, probably unfortunate that didn’t actually win us the game there and then. So I’m delighted for him on a personal level because of what he’s been through.”
Gray highlighted Bowie’s resilience in overcoming long-term injuries. “He’s had a lot of praise recently and deservedly so, but he’s been through a lot as well. Two really long-term injuries, it’s a real test of character to keep going into the gym every day, keep working hard. Join a new club, then get a setback again, then need an operation on it, to then pull himself through that. And then to do what he’s doing now, I think he fully deserves it for everything he’s done up until this point. As I keep saying, there’s a lot more to come for Kieran Bowie, which is a real positive for everybody.”
The Hibs boss also noted Bowie’s unique style of play. “It was a massive moment in the game, but as I’ve said, you take the goal out of it, what he’s given us at the minute… his appetite, his hunger, he’s a bit of a throwback in how he plays as a centre-forward, which is something that’s difficult to play against. But even the quality he’s got as well when he’s in these positions.”
While acknowledging Bowie’s outstanding performance, Gray was quick to credit the entire team. “I don’t really like singling players out, I think he was always going to get a lot of the plaudits for tonight. But there was a lot of huge performances tonight, the effort level from every single player was there. I’m delighted for them all, because they deserve it.”
Gray Backs Goalkeeper Smith After Errors
Despite his costly errors in the first half, Jordan Smith retained the full support of his manager. “No, I never considered taking him off,” Gray stated firmly. “It’s easy to say that now, clearly, but I know his character. I know him as a person. I spoke to him. He knew. He held his hand up straight away. He knows that.”
Gray emphasized Smith’s strong character and his history of bouncing back from setbacks. “I think it’s something that he’s demonstrated for a long time, in a Hibs jersey especially. He’s been so consistent, so reliable during difficult times. You think about when he made his debut for the club, he was in a difficult time when that position was under real scrutiny, and then made a mistake that night, or arguably could have done better for the goals.”
He added, “But he’s done what he does, he is a calming influence, his character is really strong. I spoke to him at half-time, and I think when you make a mistake, you look at the second goal, he’ll get it because he makes the final mistake, but there’s three or four mistakes that lead up to that. As a goalkeeper, you’ve got no hiding place. If you make a mistake, you get punished, and that’s what happens. That’s why it’s quite a lonely position to be in, and it takes a strong character to be able to do that.”
Gray praised Smith’s response in the second half. “As I’ve said, I had no doubts about Smudge in the second half. What he does do then is, he doesn’t take any risks. He didn’t overplay, he didn’t put himself in positions again. He simplified his game and made some big saves. That’s all you can ask of your goalkeeper in those moments.”
He concluded, “I’m delighted for him because if we’d went out off the back of a couple of mistakes, he certainly doesn’t deserve it for his level of performance and contribution over the last nine months he’s been on the team.”
Partizan Boss Praises Easter Road Atmosphere
Despite the disappointment of defeat, Partizan Belgrade manager Srđan Blagojević was full of praise for the atmosphere at Easter Road. “It was an amazing night and a big experience for our younger players,” he said. “There is a bright future ahead of them and it wouldn’t have been undeserved if we were the team to qualify further. It was a very good game, an interesting match but we didn’t qualify even though we won tonight. We were the better team and closer to scoring the third goal than Hibs were to score their first. The atmosphere was amazing. Our European journey has been one big, beautiful experience. We’re a very young squad and I’m super proud of my whole team.”