Hibs went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Irish champions Shamrock Rovers last night in the first pre-season fixture of the 2026/27 campaign.
Hibs were backed by a 1,500-strong support who made the trip across the Irish Sea from Leith to Dublin.
Luke O’Regan’s finish after 16 minutes put the reigning League of Ireland Premier Division champions ahead early on in South Dublin, and it was a lead Stephen Bradley’s men held despite some promising spells from the Hibees.
But Gray said the game represented ideal preparation for his side.
And reflecting on the fixture, the Head Coach told Hibs TV: “I thought it was an excellent run-out for the players.
“The first test was 45 minutes, and the importance of getting minutes into the legs.
“I thought when you looked at how the game went, I thought we probably looked like a team that’s been working hard in the last seven days versus a team that has been playing together probably for the last three or four months and is up to speed.
“It took us a wee bit to get up to speed, and we lost a poor goal, which set us back a bit, but we grew into the first half.
“In the second half, we made a slight change of shape, and some younger players came on as well, which was good to see, but the most important thing for me was that we came through the game with 45 minutes in the legs, which is the next progression for the players.
“There were no severe injuries, but a few bumps and bruises because it was a physical game, but it was a really good test, and that’s exactly what we needed at this stage of pre-season.
“Of course we’re disappointed to lose the game, as there was no such thing as a friendly, and I just said that to the boys as well, and the players know that, but it is about the minutes in the legs at this stage of the season.
“They (Shamrock Rovers) are a very good side, and I know that was a lot of the younger players as well, but they’ve all got a point to prove.
“They’re fit, they’re energetic, they move the ball well, so we knew it would be a really good test.
“It’s exactly what the players need at this stage, and it’s exactly what we needed from a physical point of view.
“There’s a lot to work on in terms of the way we played, in terms of improvements to come within that, but we’ve got a lot of players to come back into the squad.
“It’s a big step forward in terms of what we’ve done in the last seven days with these players.”
There were a number of absentees at Tallaght Stadium.
Jordan Obita, Martin Boyle, Jamie McGrath and Owen Elding have recently returned from international duty, so the game came too soon for them, while Josh Campbell and Callum Wright missed out due to minor knocks.
Grant Hanley was also absent from the squad, with the Scotland international due to join up with his teammates later in pre-season.
So, the Head Coach was quick to update supporters on each individual’s situation and offered a very positive update on Rudi Molotnikov, who has recovered from his long-term injury.
“[We’ve got] really positive news on Rudi (Molotnikov),” said Gray.
“He’s trained fully with the international boys, the smaller group this morning, and came through that, which is excellent, and by the end of the week, he’ll be fully integrated into training, which is excellent for him.
“We probably won’t see him play this weekend. It’s a bit soon for that, but it’s really good to have him around the group again, and he’ll benefit from a real strong pre-season now.
“Callum (Wright), when he joined, just had a little bit of an issue with his toe, which has been resolved very quickly.
“He was back on the grass again today and will be again tomorrow. We’ve just built him up, but that’s days rather than anything else.
“Josh Campbell also had an issue with his toe at the end of the week.”
Over 1,500 fans made the trip over the Irish Sea, and the Head Coach paid tribute to their incredible support at Tallaght Stadium.
“It didn’t surprise me, and it was an excellent supporter as always,” said Gray.
“I’m disappointed they never saw a goal or anything like that tonight, and that would be the one thing we would say from our point of view.”
Shamrock Rovers XI: Noonan (Steacy 62), Matthews (McPhail 62), O’Regan (Asamoah 62), Malley (Lynch 46), Vassenin, J O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan (C), Razi, Barrett, Mahon (Koufie 46), Kovalevskis.
Subs not used: Greene, Burke, Trialist 1, Reddy, Muray, Marshall, Byrne.
Goal: O’Regan 16
Booked: Vassenin
Hibs XI: Sallinger (Smith 46), Megwa, O’Hora (Kerr 46), McGrath (Jiménez 46), Chris Cadden (Passlack 46), Nicky Cadden (Manneh 46), McDonald (Gillie 46), Newell (C) (Klidjé), MacIntyre, Mulligan (Chaiwa 46, Šuto (Bruce 46).
Booked: Newell
