Nathan Lowe debut double secures victory for Hibs over Brøndby IF

A first half double from debutant Nathan Lowe was enough to secure victory over Brøndby IF at Easter Road this afternoon. 

Head Coach David Gray has included Lowe, Adam Mayor and Callum Wright in his final line-up of pre-season 

The friendly was a tenth-anniversary rematch from the two clubs’ meeting in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers back in July 2016 

Raphael Sallinger continued in goal with a back-five of be Felix Passlack and Mayor as wing-backs either side of a defensive trio of Grant Hanley, Warren O’Hora and Jordan Obita. 

Miguel Chaiwa took the holding midfield role with a flexible midfield of Josh Mulligan and Wright, with the new No9 leading the attack alongside Martin Boyle, who takes the captain’s armband. 

Summer signings Jason Kerr and Azeem Abdulai were also named on the bench alongside goalkeepers Jordan Smith and Freddie Owens, defenders Kanayo Megwa and Jack Iredale, midfielders Chris Cadden, Joe Newell, Jacob MacIntyre and Rudi Molotnikov, and forwards Thibault Klidjé and Owen Elding. 

Hibs started on the front foot and almost took an early lead when Jordi Vanlerberghe’s poor header inside his penalty box was almost intercepted by Lowe, and only the quick reactions of William Sonne-Schmidt denying the striker an early breakthrough. 

HoweverLowe didn’t have long to wait for his first goal for the Club, and it arrived after a defensive mistake by the visitors. 

A routine ball over the top of the Brøndby defence had Vanlerberghe turning towards his goal, and his header back to Sonne-Schmidt looped over the stranded goalkeeper. 

Lowe took advantage of the mistake and reached the ball first before knocking the ball into the net. 

Less than a minute later the visitors were fortunate not to fall further behind when Lowe fed Martin Boyle, and his low-angled shot effort beat Sonne-Schmidt before Vanlerberghe hooked it off the line. 

From the resultant corner kick, a cross from the right was flicked on by Hanley to Boyle and his low cross was headed home by Lowe at the near post. 

Lowe almost made it a hat trick on 26 minutes when his glancing header flashed just wide of goal. 

Just before the  break, a deep cross from Batosz Slisz was adjudged to have been handled by Obita, gifting the visitors a penalty kick.  

In between the award of the spot kick and it being taken, the impressive Wright required treatment and was unable to continue. The midfielder was replaced by Rudi Molotnikov. 

Patrick Mortensen sent the penalty into the bottom left hand corner of the net just evading Sallinger’s outstretched arm. 

Gray made four changes during the interval, with Iredale, Kerr, Klidjé and Newell replacing Mayor, Hanley, Lowe and Chaiwa respectively. 

Further changes saw Elding, Chris Cadden, MacIntyre and  Megwa introduced, whilst Brøndby made five changes themselves. 

With 20 minutes remaining, Brøndby almost equalised after substitute Bundgaard’s effort crashed back off Sallinger’s near post. 

In the final minute of the game, Bundgaard’s back post header appeared to be a goal all the way, only for Sallinger to pull off a sensational save. 

At the other end Elding’s ambitious shot from distance fizzed just over Sonne-Schmidt’s crossbar. 

Hibs: Sallinger, Mayor (Iredale 46’), Hanley (Kerr 46’), O’Hora, Mulligan (MacIntyre 59’), Lowe (Klidje 46’), Boyle (Elding 59’), Chaiwa (Klidjé 46’), Obita (C. Cadden 59’), Wright (Molotnikov 44’), Passlack (Megwa 68’). 
Substitutes not used: Smith, Owens, Abdulai. 

Brøndby: Sonne-Schmidt, Binks, Mortensen (Fenger 62’), Ejdum (Canut 73’), Fukuda (Sow 62’), Younis (Bundgaard 62’), Divković (Villadsen 62’), Köhlert, Frøkjær-Jensen (Jensen 62’), Vanlerberghe (Wass 73’), Slisz. 
Substitutes not used: Beavers, Larsen. 

Referee: Grant Irvine.