Hibs left hurting again in Europe as familiar failing rears ugly head and promised land eludes them
Concession of two late goals at Easter Road spurns Conference League chance
The main phase of a European competition remains a step too far for Hibs, who once again faltered right at the death of the Conference League play-off stage.
For the second season in a row, Hibs conceded a stoppage-time goal, denying them progress they so dearly crave.
It is the arena Hibs owner Ian Gordon, head coach David Gray, the players and the supporters desperately want to experience, but in front of a sold-out Easter Road, they were floored by sucker punches from Gent.
With the tie finely poised following last week's goalless draw at Planet Group Arena, hopes were raised that this could finally be Hibs' time. The second leg was given cup-final status by Gray pre-match. And with 13 minutes to go, they burst into a 2-1 lead, only to concede two late goals and agonisingly lose 3-2.
Exiting at the play-off stage will hurt like hell for Hibs once more, who 12 months ago were three minutes away from eliminating Legia Warsaw in the Polish capital to take their place in the Conference League. Their failure will sting a little more given capital rivals Hearts qualified 24 hours earlier in Vienna. They will be Scotland's sole representatives after Rangers and Motherwell were both knocked out.
£5m bounty slips through Hibs’ grasp
Under Gray, Hibs have made progress but one of their main failings under the head coach is conceding goals in the closing stages of matches. This trait reared its ugly head once more, with Hibs unable to see out a lead that would have brought them a near £5 million bounty and European football until at least the end of the year.
Easter Road was a wall of noise and hope as the two teams sparred cagily in the opening exchanges. Experienced striker Martin Boyle was asked to lead the frontline in the absence of injured Owen Elding, who missed a penalty in the first leg, alongside Nathan Lowe and he had the best of the opening exchanges, seeing a close-range shot deflected over Roef's crossbar on five minutes.
Gent did well to weather the occasion and atmosphere and quickly settled into the match. They were keen to work their left flank, with tricky winger Momodou Sonko fashioning a couple of good moments, the best being a low cross that fizzed through the Hibs six-yard box but with no Belgian takers.
Gent midfielder Tibe de Vlieger ought to have done better than pull a presentable shot wide from the edge of the penalty box after a Jason Kerr clearance on 27 minutes, but his chance was nothing compared to the one Lowe missed just seconds later.
Hibs quickly moved the ball forward and Boyle sent Lowe through on goal. The Stoke loanee had the attentions of Gent defender Christian Burgess to deal with but should have done an awful lot better than slash his effort over the bar from eight yards out.
Josue Vergara planted a header straight at Sallinger on 36 minutes after more good work from Sonko but the Panamanian teenager was not to be denied three minutes later. After a long period of Gent possession, Tiago Araujo found Vergara in the penalty box and he fired the ball past Sallinger on the turn, with the Austrian keeper getting a hand to the ball.
Hibs offered a brief rally before the interval. Burgess was forced to clear a dangerous Lowe knockdown before Boyle stung the palms of Roefs. Josh Mulligan volleyed over wildly from the edge of the box and that was to be it for the first 45 minutes.
One foot in Conference League - then out
Hibs were sprightly after the break and thought they had equalised on 47 minutes when Boyle took in a Mulligan shot and lashed home from close range. However, it was deemed that the Australian had handled the ball in the build-up and Spanish referee Juan Martinez Munuera chalked it off following a quick VAR review.
Hibs were playing with more vigour. Jamie McGrath was driving forward and it was clear Gray had demanded them to up the tempo. The Irishman saw a shot blocked on the goalline on 55 minutes but a minute later, the leveller came when a lovely cross from the same player to the back post was powered home by lifelong Hibs fan Kerr.
The game was now deliciously poised. Hibs had a further five-minute period of ascendancy before Gent regathered themselves. Araujo belted a volley just over the bar, then Mulligan's effort was comfortably dealt with by Roef. It was anyone's match as we entered the final quarter.
Genk so nearly netted on 74 minutes when Burgess's header from a couple of yards out following a corner rattled off the post. The big defender ought to have scored.
Three minutes later Hibs were in front. Mulligan's cute pass found Felix Passlack and the German lashed the ball home via the post. The hosts had one foot in the Conference League.
Hibs were dragged back into reality on 84 minutes. Substitute Laszlo Benes swung in a corner and this time Burgess didn't miss. We were level again.
Callum Wright could have restored Hibs’ advantage a minute later but his shot from inside the penalty box was too close to Roef and he made a smart save.
That was to be Hibs' last chance. But Gent had one last moment - and it was a devastating one. In the first minute of stoppage time, young right-back Kanayo Megwa's header on the half-way line went straight to El Hadji Seck and he burst through on goal and squared to the waiting Ibrahima Cisse, who would have scored had Miguel Chaiwa not slid in before him to put into his own net.
The Zambian's night was compounded with a second yellow card a minute later. Hibs ended the match with ten men and crumpled to the turf on the full-time whistle. The promised land continues to elude them.
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