Hibs produced one of their finest ever away European performances tonight to beat Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round.
Head coach David Gray made one change to the starting XI that beat Dundee on Sunday with Jamie McGrath returning on place of Junior Hoilett.
New signing Grant Hanley was listed amongst the substitutes.
The atmosphere was hostile at kick off with around 27,000 home fans nicknamed “The Undertakers” making themselves heard above the 400 Hibs supporters who made the trip from Scotland.
Hibs started brightly and created a couple of half chances before Martin Boyle almost scored a wonder goal.
The Partizan keeper comes out for a long ball and made a mess of it. Boyle then attempted a 40-yard lob from wide on the right, but it grazed the post with the keeper stranded.
Up the other end Demba Seck fired the ball over the bar from close range.
Jamie McGrath, then fired a sensational 30-yard free-kick toward the top-right corner, but Partizan keeper Marko Milosevic makes a stunning acrobatic save.
Partizan forward Trifunovic then firedstraight at Jordan Smith, who igot his body behind the ball which flew wide for a corner.
Josh Mulligan for pulling his man back to stop a Partizan break.
The home side thought they had taken the lead but a superb double block from Rocky Bushiri then Chris Cadden kept the score level.
Partizan then went down to 10-men when centre-back Djurdjevic was shown a second yellow for hauling down Kieron Bowie.
Hibs then took a deserved lead.
A Jordan Obita corner is flicked on at the near post by Warren O’Hora and Boyle smashes in at the back post, his hundredth goal for the club.
Hibs almost made it 2-0 when Mulligan picked out McGrath but his free header went just wide.
Chris Cadden had a great chance just before the break at a back-post effort but he sliced his effort wide.
Josh Campbell replaced Mulligan at half time presumably due to his yellow card.
Hibs continued to dominate and Bowie got on the end of an Obita cross but the keeper produced a fantastic save to deny the striker.
The away fans held their breath when Boyle turned awkwardly with nobody around him and went down in a lot of pain be he stayed on after some treatment.
Moments later the referee was sent to the monitor after Bowie was wrestled to the ground at a free kick. He correctly awarded the penalty whih Boyle fired straight down the middle.
He was then replaced by Hoilett.
Hibs continued to press and almost scored a third but Milosevic managed to prevent a deflected own goal.
Hibs managed the game out well and the pair meet again at Easter Road next Thursday night in the second leg.
In the event of progression, Hibs will take on the losers of the Legia Warsaw v AEK Larnaca Europa League fixture.
Partizan Belgrade: M Milosevic, Roganovic, Durdevic, Simic, Jurcevic, Dragojevic, Ugresic, M Vukotic, Seck, Trifunovic, J Milosevic.
Substitutes: Krunic, A Kostic, Natcho, A Kalulu, Karabelyov, Zahid, S Petrovic, D Jovanovic, Milic, Jankovic, Alilovic, B Kostic.
Hibernian: Smith, O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, C Cadden, Mulligan, Levitt, Obita, McGrath, Bowie, Boyle.
Substitutes: Sallinger, Johnson, Hanley, Youan, Alasana, Klidje, Hoilett, Megwa, MacIntyre, Campbell.
