Hibs will travel to Sweden next week to face Malmo after they beat Drogheda United 2-0 last night in the second leg of the first qualifying round of the Europa League.
The League of Ireland team put up a brave performance and as the game went into time added on, they were still in contention and one goal would have sent them through, but it was not to be.
Malmo’s Emil Forsberg broke the deadlock just on the stroke of half-time, and when the fourth official indicated five minutes of injury time to be played it looked like the Drogs would have a small life-line, but in the 92nd minute Simon Kroon weaved his way through the visitors’ defence and powered his shot past Sava to secure the win.
Pat Fenlon was amongst the spectators, and the Hibs’ manager will now prepare or the first leg which will be played in Malmo next Thursday.
The return leg will be played at Easter Road on Thursday 25 July, and an announcement on tickets will be made on the club website this morning.
Hibs have played Malmo before in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup and emerged triumphant. In September 1970, a Joe McBride hat-trick along with a double from Arthur Duncan and one from Jim Blair ensured that Hibs travelled to Sweden with a 6-0 lead.
The return leg was closer, but goals from Willie McEwan, his first for the club, Bobby Duncan and a certain Patrick Gordon Stanton gave Hibs a 3-2 win to claim the tie 9-3 on aggregate.
On the next round, Hibs beat Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-0 win at Easter Road in the next round; however the campaign ended with a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Bill Shankly’s Liverpool.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
