Darren McGregor praised his Under-19s squad as they saw off FC 2 Korriku in the first leg of their UEFA Youth League second round encounter at Easter Road last night.
Rudi Molotnikov fired in the opener in the 11th minute, before second half strikes from Jamie McMurdo, Luke Davidson and Lewis Gillie rounded out a special night at Easter Road for the youngsters in front of 1,411 supporters.
“I thought we were excellent. From start to finish, I thought the boys carried out the game plan to a tee,” McGregor told Hibs TV.
“We dealt with a wee bit of adversity. We lose Rudi, which is unfortunate after 15-20 minutes. But then I think wee Callum Macdonald comes on and does extremely well.
“We never really looked like conceding. We always looked like a threat in transitions and I thought you couldn’t have asked for a better result if I’m being honest.”
“That’s your bedrock, keeping clean sheets,” he continued. “Obviously, me being a defender myself, we work on that religiously and I think the boys from when we first got them in a couple of years ago to now, they’re just completely different animals. You’ve seen that in the game. I thought they were absolutely tremendous. They showed bravery on the ball.”
“To go through that whole game and never really look troubled was a testament to their work ethic, their endeavour. We touched on before the game, if anything, at the end of the game make sure you can walk through your front door tonight and your mum and dad are proud of you and that will definitely be the case.
“I think the first 10 minutes there was a wee bit of playing the occasion, a wee bit of apprehension. You can tell on the lads’ faces because you train and you’re with them every day. That’s normal. They’re 16-year-old lads.
“We’ve been given the great privilege of being able to play on the pitch and we know that’s a privilege and we’re grateful for the first team allowing us onto it. It’s absolutely magnificent. I was saying that to Gareth and Boozy before the game started. This is the best pitch I’ve ever seen at Easter Road, ever.
“It was absolutely tremendous and that helped our lads because our lads are good footballers. I say to them as well, sometimes Scottish football gets a wee bit of a bad rep. It gets knocked a little. It wasn’t even just themselves, they were representing Hibs and what they stand for. You’re also representing your country and I thought today we’ve done that.”
Defender Lewis Gillie added: ““I’m buzzing to be honest. A 4-0 win and a goal, you can’t ask for much more; it’s amazing really.
“The first 10/15 minutes we felt a little shaky because we didn’t know much about them, but we grew in confidence. The last 75 minutes was just unreal. We put in a really good performance, scored goals, and got a clean sheet.
“I was telling the boys all game to stick the ball to the back post, and I’d get on the end of it. Finally, they did and I was buzzing with the goal. It was amazing to score.
“My mates and my family don’t get out to see me a lot, so scoring at Easter Road in front of them and 1,500 fans is amazing. People were asking me what my celebration was about, but I said before the game, if I scored, I’m belly sliding, so I had to do it!”
The second leg is on Wednesday 5 November, 2025 in Pristina, Kosovo, kicking off at 6pm. Hibs have a comfortable lead going into the return tie, but Gillie knows there’s still work to be done.
“We’re only halfway there; the job isn’t finished. Goals change games, so we need to finish the job.”
