Hibs secured a well deserved goalless draw against KAA Gent at the Planet Group Arena (Arteveldestadion) in Belgium tonight.
But it could have been even better had a first-half penalty been converted.
David Gray made four changes to his side, with Felix Passlack, Jordan Obita, Miguel Chaiwa and Josh Campbell all returning to the starting XI.
They replaced Joe Newell, Jamie McGrath, Jack Iredale and Kanayo Megwa.
Grant Hanley was back on the bench after missing the last three games through injury, while Callum Wright was also listed as a substitute.
Warren O’Hora skippered the team who played in their third ‘purple’ kit for the first time.
Around 1,000 Hibs fans occupied a section of the stadium and made themselves heard throughout, many no doubt buoyed from the £40,000 chairman Ian Gordon put behind the bar in the fan-zone.
The home side dominated the early possession but the first clear chance fell to Hibs when O’Hora was fouled inside the area in the 12th minute.
The referee pointed to the spot and Owen Elding took responsibility, but his penalty, struck low and hard to the keeper’s right was well saved by Davy Roef, the Gent captain.
Both clubs created minor chances but neither keeper was tested for the remainder of the first-half.
Hibs won an early corner after the restart and Adam Mayor found Campbell unmarked at the edge of the area but his header was well wide.
At the other end Raphael Sallinger did well to turn a looping header from by Christian Burgess round the post.
On the hour mark Miguel Chaiwa tried his luck from distance but the keeper saved easily.
There was a scare for Hibs when Felix Passlace lost possession on the half way line and tried to lob the keeper but his effort was just too high.
Martin Boyle and Jamie McGrath replaced Elding and Campbell in the 63rd minute and Gent brought former Falkirk winger Kyrell Wilson on for Laszlo Benes.
And within minutes Wilson missed an open goal after a mistake in the Hibs defence.
The ball was played to the back post where Wilson waited completely unmarked, but he took a touch and the ball went out for a goal kick instead of just hitting it first time.
There was another scare for Hibs when Mathias Delorge headed a corner wide but went down claiming to have been fouled by Nathan Lowebut the referee saw. through the deception.
Passlack had a great chance when a cross from the left fell into his path but his volley was blocked and the danger cleared.
Chaiwa limped off and was replaced by Newell with 10-minutes remaining.
And despite some pressure from the home side Hibs defence held firm.
The pair meet in the second leg at Easter Road next Thursday.
Gent: Roef, Ngom, Burgess, Van der Heyden, Volckaert, Delorge, Benes, De Vlieger, Araujo, Sonko, Vergara.
Substitutes: Peersman, Paskotsi, Omgba, Wilson, Lopes, El Adfaoui, Kadri, Ayinde, Diallo, Seck, Abdullahi, Cisse.
Hibernian: Sallinger, Kerr, O’Hora, Obita, Passlack, Mulligan, Chaiwa, Mayor, Campbell, Lowe, Elding.
Substitutes: Smith, Owens, Hanley, Boyle, Newell, Iredale, McGrath, Cadden, Suto, Wright, Megwa, Abdulai.
