Hibs hold Gent to 0-0 in Belgium to leave tie finely poised
Hibernian drew 0-0 with KAA Gent in Belgium on Thursday night in a Europa Conference League qualifier, securing the result in front of 1,000 travelling supporters and moving a step closer to the reported £5m-plus reward for reaching the competition proper.
Supporters were in buoyant mood before kick-off after chairman Ian Gordon reportedly put £40,000 behind the bar at the fanzone, and many gathered at O'Learys — the pool, darts, bowling and karaoke hall where Hibs fans congregated — singing and travelling in numbers for the trip. Hibs followed up a mature display away to Shkendija in North Macedonia last week and have the chance to become the first Hibs side to reach the league phase (group stage) of European competition.
Gent dominated the early periods and smothered Hibs until a penalty was awarded after Warren O'Hora was clattered into. Owen Elding, the 20-year-old who had grabbed the ball to take it, saw his effort saved as Gent goalkeeper and captain Davy Roef reacted sharply to get down and deny him. Supporters tucked into the far left corner of the Planet Group Arena were left giddy and dreaming; the report notes Roef had required similar heroics in the shootout against Cherkasy in the second qualifying round.
O'Hora, captain for the night, defended Elding's response after the miss and spoke to BBC Scotland post-match: "Owen came in at half-time, said 'sorry about the penalty boys, but we're on top so let's keep going'. That's just the way he is. There was a little arm round him, then he shows how much of a man he is already, at such a young age. Credit to him for that. He didn't shy away from things, he just keeps going and waits for the next one. He's got plenty of penalties to take in the rest of his career. I said it to him in the dressing room after the game 'I've never taken a penalty in my career, I don't plan on doing it, either.' I don't envy him one bit for that. He's been brilliant for us there's nothing for him to worry about."
The Hibs defence, marshalled by O'Hora alongside Jason Kerr and Jordan Obita, recorded a third consecutive clean sheet as Raphael Sallinger was not required to make any real save. Gent created chances and dominated possession at times but lacked the cutting edge to breach a disciplined Hibernian rearguard.
Head coach David Gray assessed the performance after the match and said: "We didn't carry enough threat but the players showed real courage and we were worth the clean sheet. A massive performance and massive result, away from home in Europe against a very good side. Physically we were excellent. I don't like singling players out but the two boys in the middle of the pitch [Josh Mulligan and Miguel Chaiwa] especially. They've got a lot of threats but we restricted them to very few chances. The discipline, organisation, but also belief in the game plan [was pleasing]. It is only half-time in the tie, I'm not getting carried away here. We've achieved nothing yet."
Belgian Pro League side Gent arrived unbeaten in the early stages of their season and had seen off Gothenburg to reach this round, making Hibs's defensive display notable against a strong opponent. Hibs remain frustrated by a lack of potency in attack and will be seeking greater cutting edge when the tie resumes.
The second leg takes place next Thursday at Easter Road, with Hibs holding a clean-sheet advantage in the tie; "Ninety, 120 minutes or even penalties stand in their way from whipping the passports out until Christmas."