Hibs Secure Conference League Play-off Spot Despite Draw
Hibs grind it out in North Macedonia – and supporters are split on what it really means.
A goalless draw with Shkendija was enough to book a place in the Conference League play-off, backing up that statement win over Rangers at the weekend. The scoreline was drab, the outcome anything but.
For some, that was all that mattered.
“Job done. Not pretty but a clean sheet away in Europe is nothing to be sniffed at,” said Calum, capturing the pragmatic mood among a large section of the travelling support. A professional result, no drama, no away goal conceded. In European qualifying, that still carries weight.
John struck a similar note. The spectacle? Forgettable. The significance? Huge.
“Not the best of games to watch but who cares. Getting to the play-offs is all that counted,” he said. “I feel the team were never in any danger, Shkendija played better at Easter Road.” Hibs controlled the tie, in his eyes, without ever needing to move through the gears.
Relief, but a warning on tactics
The satisfaction of progress, though, came with a warning attached. The Rangers victory has raised expectations, and some fans want David Gray to trust his side more against domestic opposition.
“A great result following on from the win against Rangers at the weekend,” said Kenny. “David Gray now needs to have more faith that we can beat teams around us without resorting to the defensive tactics that we seem to deploy in the Premiership.”
He wants Hibs on the front foot, not retreating into their shell.
“The fans will get behind the manager and the team if we can play off the front foot and stop losing goals when we give the ball away just outside the 18-yard box. The players are there, no good being too negative.”
That’s the tension already forming around Gray’s early tenure: European pragmatism versus the demand for a bolder, more expansive Hibs in the league.
Doubts over quality and recruitment
Not everyone bought into the idea that Shkendija were a serious test. One supporter, A Graham, took direct aim at the manager’s post-match assessment.
“Gray says Shkendija were a really good side, they were awful and we played at their level over the tie with poor passing,” came the blunt verdict. The concern wasn’t just about the opposition. It was about Hibs themselves.
“We were lacklustre up front and our record signing can't get a game. Hopefully some more signings to come as I'm struggling to see improvements in the ones we have so far. Hopefully we'll click into gear as the Rangers game seems the exception to the norm right now.”
That is the nagging fear: that the Ibrox performance was a high point, not the new standard.
One more hurdle
Neil, though, preferred to focus on the bigger picture: progress, clean sheets, and the chance to make a bit of history.
“Well done Hibs, not pretty but a professional job. Let's hope we can get over this last hurdle and into the next stage for the first time.”
Hibs are still standing in Europe. The play-off awaits. Now the question is whether Gray’s side can turn these functional nights into something more convincing – and carry that edge into the Premiership when the stakes rise again.
