Hibs hopes of progressing to this season’s UEFA Conference League suffered a huge blow in the Kosovo heat this afternoon following a 2-0 defeat to KF Malisheva.
Nathan Lowe and Owen Elding had chances to score in an evenly fought encounter but it was the home side that took their chances when it mattered.
David Gray has made two changes to the team that beat Brøndby IF at Easter Road, with Jack Iredale and Elding restored to the starting XI.
Summer signing Lowe was handed a competitive debut, with fellow arrivals Jason Kerr, Adam Mayor and Azeem Abdulai all named on the bench.
Raphael Sallinger started in goal protected by a back five of Felix Passlack, Warren O’Hora, Grant Hanley, Iredale and Jordan Obita.
Josh Mulligan and Miguel Chaiwa started in midfield with operating as the striking focal point, with skipper Martin Boyle and Owen Elding providing the attacking width.
Goalkeepers Jordan Smith and Freddie Owens were on the substitutes’ bench, joined by defenders Kerr, Chris Cadden, Kanayo Megwa and Mayor, midfielders Joe Newell, Abdulai, Josh Campbell, Jacob MacIntyre and Rudi Molotnikov, and forward Thibault Klidjé.
Rocky Bushiri, Jamie McGrath and Nicky Cadden remained absent from the matchday squad, as did Callum Wright and Ante Šuto.
Hibs started on the front foot and almost took an early lead when Passlack’s deep cross found Elding but his looping header was cleared off the line.
At the other end Arlind Veliu’s effort was deflected over the bar.
And it was the hosts that eventually took the lead in the 21st minute when the Hibs defence failed to stop a low cross from the left and Kreshnik Uka was on hand to poke the ball into the net from 10-yards.
Hibs responded and Lowe did well to keep a long ball alive.
Boyle’s cross dropped to Obita but the defender’s effort flew wide.
Just before the break Hibs broke clear but Psslack’s effort was saved by the keeper and Gray’s men went into the changing room a goal down.
Iredale made way for Mayor at the start of the second-half.
Shortly after the restart a Mulligan shot deflected into the path of Lowe but his angled strike hit the side netting.
Moments later a mix up in midfield culminated in a booking for O’Hora,
Chaiwa then fired over from 15-yards after a corner was cleared into his path as Hibs pressed for an equaliser.
In the 65th minute a great Hibs move ended with Lowe firing just wide from the edge of the area.
Boyle and Elding then made way for Newell and Klidge.
Sallinger did well to save a close-range header from Donart Vitija as the travelling fans made their displeasure known with the Hibs performance.
The hosts also freshened things up with a triple change.
Goalscorer Uka had a half-chance and tried to lob Sallinger from 30 yards, but the keeper caught it with ease.
With 10-minutes remaining Abdulai replaced Mulligan.
As tempers frayed, both head coaches were shown yellow cards in the dying minutes.
Then in the last minute disaster struck. Chaiwa went down looking for a free-kick but the referee waved play on.
Malisheva broke clear and Valmir Nafiu fired the ball high into the net from 12-yards.
The Hibs fans made thier feelings known at the final whistle.
The pair meet again at Easter Road next Thursday and Gray’s men know they will hav eto up their performance if they want to progress.
Afterwards Gray told BBC Scotland: “”In terms of the performance, clearly nowhere near the level acceptable for this football club .
“Certainly for the fans that have come all this way to support their team in Europe, for us to offer up that level of performance isn’t good enough. I know that, it’s my responsibility to fix that.
“The only positive that can come from that is the fact that we’ve got 90 minutes to try and put it right. I still firmly believe that we are capable of turning it round.
“But I’m not going to talk about the game in terms of chances we had and all these things that are irrelevant. They’d just be excuses at this point.”
Malisheva: Avdyli, Skovgaard, D. Kryeziu, Shani, Ferati, Vitija, Xhylani, Isgandarli, Veliu, Uka, Ibishi
Substitutes: Bajraktari, Bushaj, Dulaj, Kanuric, E. Kryeziu, Luma, Morina, Murati, Nafiu, Pira, Sopaj, Zogaj
Hibs: Sallinger, O’Hora, Hanley, Iredale, Passlack, Mulligan, Chaiwa, Obita, Boyle, Elding, Lowe.
Substitutes: Smith, Owens, Mayor, Kerr, Newell, C. Cadden, Klidje, Molotnikov, Megwa, MacIntyre, Campbell, Abdulai.
