Hibs ran out 3-2 winners after a thrilling encounter with German side Rot-Weiss Essen at Easter Road last night.
The match kick started the Club’s 150th anniversary and the opponents were selected as the pair had faced each other 70-years ago in the first ever European Champions Cup.
New signings Rachael Sallinger, Josh Mulligan and Jamie McGrath all made their Easter Road debut.
Ahead of kick-off Club legend, Pat Stanton, commemorated the renaming of East Stand in his honour by delivering the match ball to a huge standing ovation.
Credit: Ian Jacobs
Credit: Ian Jacobs
Credit: Ian Jacobs
Credit: Ian Jacobs
The visitors packed out the lower tier of the South Stand and their presence known, chanting and cheering throughout the game.
There was a familiar face in the middle of the park with former Hibs goalkeeper, Sean Murdoch, officiating the game.
Hibs opened the scoring after only 70-seconds when
Lewis Miller picked out McGrath and the Irishman’s initial shot was saved by Jakob Golz but he was able to fire home the rebound from close range.
Without consulting 150-years of record books, it is unlikely that any Hibs player has made such an early scoring contribution on his home debut.
The hosts added a second in the 13th minute when Junior Hoilett set up Chris Cadden, who was denied by Golz at his near post but the ball found its way back to the Canadian who curled a superb strike into the top right corner of the net.
Despite going two-nil down, the Rot Weiss Essen fans continued to cheer their heroes.
Hibs almost made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute but Hoilett and captain for the night Rocky Bushiri had efforts blocked.
At the other end Jack Iredale and Chris Cadden did well to deny Ramien Safi who twice broke clear.
Miller was forced to leave the field after picking up an injury and was replaced by Warren O’Hora.
Gray replaced Hoilett with Ellie Youan for te second while the visitors replaced their entire starting XI.
And that paid dividends with two goals in the opening five minutes to the delight of their fans.
Dominik Martinovic swept home Franci Bouebari’s low cross then added a second with a powerful strike from outside the area.
On the hour mark Mulligan played a neat one-two with McGrath before finding Bowie, but his shot on the turn beat Felix Wienand only to rebound off the post.
That was his last action as Gray made five substitutions with Martin Boyle, Josh Campbell, Alasana Manneh, Jacob MacIntyre and Marvin Ekpiteta all entering the fray.
With play raging from end to end it was the home side that grabbed the winner when Boyle cut inside from the right before slamming a left foot shot past Wienand from 18 yards.
Youngster Lewis Gillie joined the list of home debutants in the 82nd minute replacing Chris Cadden.
With three minutes remaining the visitors were awarded a penalty when Ekliteta was adjudged to have fouled Torben Musel.
Musel elected to take the spot-kick but Sallinger produced a wonderful save and the honours fell to Hibs.
Hibernian: Sallinger, Miller (O’Hora 32’), Levitt (Megwa 71’), Bowie (Boyle 61’), C. Cadden (Gillie 81’), Iredale (Campbell 61’), McGrath, N. Cadden, Mulligan (Manneh 61’), Hoilett (Youan 46’ (MacIntyre 62’)), Rocky (Ekpiteta 61’). Substitutes not used: Smith, Johnson.
Rot-Weiss Essen: Golz (Wienand 46’), Arslan (Shultz 46’), Safi (Gjasula 46’), Obuz (Martinovic 46’), Brumme (Musel 37’), Celebi (Kaiser 46’), Alonso (Bouebari 46’), Moustier (Mizuta 46’), Bazzoli (Owusu 46’), Kraulich (Schulte-Kellinghaus 46’), Hofmann (Swajkowski 46’). Substitutes all used.
Referee: Sean Murdoch.
Attendance: 12,622.
