Hibs were six minutes from making history tonight by reaching the UEFA Conference League but disaster struck and two late goals from KAA Gent ended the dream.
David Gray made two changes to his starting XI with Martin Boyle and Jamie McGrath replacing the injured Owen Elding and Josh Campbel.
Gent made one change with Abdelkahar Kadri replacing Laszlo Benes.
First chance fell to the visitors when Momodou Sonko sent a dangerous low ball across the face of the goal but there were no takers.
Matties Volckaert then fired wide on the half-volley before had Nathan Lowe had a chance but was unable to keep his shot down.
Then shortly before the break the visitors took the lead when Josue Vergara controlled Tiago Araujo’s cross and shot beyond Raphael Sallinger, who got a hand to it.
But after the restart Hibs started on the front foot and thought they had equalised when Josh Mulligan’s shot deflected up kindly for Boyle and he calmly lifted the ball into the net.
But after a VAR check the goal was disallowed for a handball in the build up.
Gray was shown a yellow card for dissent in the wake of that disallowed goal
But moments later the equaliser arrived.
McGrath’s shot from the edge of the Gent box was blocked. The Irishman then regained possession and his cross found Jason Kerr at the back post and his header beat goalkeeper Davy Roef.
The goal sparked mayhem amongst the Easter Road faithful.
At the other end Tiago Araujo fired just over the bar as play raged from end to end.
El Hadji Seck showed great pace to get clear on the left but his shot was blocked by Warren O’Hora.
Mulligan then tested Roef who was up to the task.
Christian Burgess almost gave Gent the lead when his header from a corner rebounded off the post and the danger was cleared.
Ante Suto replaced Boyle who left the field to a deserved standing ovation.
Moments later Hibs took the lead in the 77th minute. Felix Passlack played a superb one-two with Mulligan before firing a powerful strike off the post and into the net.
Hibs continued to press forward looking for a third and the keeper did well to deal with a dangerous cross from Adam Mayor.
With 10-minutes remaining Gent made a triple change to try and get back into the game.
And they did when Burgess rose to head home a corner with six minutes remaining.
Callum Wright had a great chance to give Hibs a late lead but the keeper did well to deny the midfielder.
Kanayo Megwa replaced Passlack with a minute remaining.
In added time Hibs won a free-kick which was taken by Wright. The ball was cleared though and Gent broke at pace.
El Hadji Seck’s low cross was turned into the net by Miquel Chaiwa for an own goal and that was that.
In the dying seconds Chaiwa was shown a second yellow card to add to the misery.
Hibs: Sallinger, Kerr, O’Hora, Obita, Passlack, Mulligan, Chaiwa, Mayor, McGrath, Boyle, Lowe.
Substitutes: Smith, Owens, Hanley, Newell, Iredale, Cadden, Molotnikov, Suto, Wright, Megwa, J MacIntyre, Abdulai.
Gent: Roef, Ngom, Burgess, Van der Heyden, Araujo, Volckeart, De Vlieger, Delorge, Kadri, Sonko, Vergara.
Substitutes: Peersman, Vandenabeele, Paskotsi, Benes, Omgba, Wilson, Lopes, El Adfaoui, Ayinde, Diallo, Seck, Cisse.
Attendance 18,977
