Norway back for Hibees
MOLDE .......... 3 HIBS .............. 0 AGG: 3-0
NEIL LENNON last night told his Hibs stars to hold their heads high after a Europa League exit at the hands of Molde’s wonderkid Erling Braut Haland.
The Easter Road boss believes the £10million rated 18-year-old was the
difference between the sides as he netted twice and created an assist in the 3-0 third round second-leg qualifier in Norway.
A night of frustration saw the Edinburgh club pay the price for failing to find the net in last week’s first-leg stalemate but Lennon insists any talk of a gulf between the two clubs would be wrong.
He said: “Haland was the difference between the two teams. You can see why he is a sought-after player.
“But I didn’t think there was a lot in the contest
and I can’t berate my players as Molde are a good side and I wish them well in the competition.
“Can this be the benchmark for Hibs? I hope so but I think we need more investment. We need to bring in a couple more players because the squad is definitely thin.
“I’ve had to use some younger players but it’s been a good experience for them. We are in a healthy position – but I always want more.
“I had aspirations of trying to make the group stages but it’s not to be. I’m looking to have a strong season domestically.
“We’ve competed very well in Europe. We’re where we are. We don’t have a lot of money to spend and we’ve lost our best player in John McGinn.”
Hibs managed to create several half chances and had Jamie Maclaren hitting a post in the second half as they searched for a way back into a tie which Lennon admits was all but decided when Haland put the Norwegians two ahead in the 66th minute.
The Northern Irishman also lamented his side’s inability to find the net on a night he doesn’t believe delivered a scoreline which was reflective of the action over two legs.
He said: “The most disappointing aspect was that we didn’t score. We had a really good spell at 1-0. We should have scored and that would have changed the psychology and complexion of the tie.
“The second goal was the killer. We threw caution to the wind after that and the third was academic.
“But I felt 3-0 flattered Molde. On paper the scoreline makes it look like Molde were by far the better team. That was not the case at all.
“I always felt we were in the tie. We had good chances, in the first leg as well, and we didn’t take them. Martin Boyle got in a couple of times and we should do better. We’ve hit the post as well.
“We only have ourselves to blame. We’ve let this one slip but it’s still very early in our season and the boys can be proud of their efforts.
“Our squad is thin and this is a new experience for a lot of them. You could see some of them physically wilting towards the end with the match fitness of Molde who are an excellent side.
“There’s no doubt a few of the players will have some regrets over the two legs.”
Another blow from the evening saw midfielder Marvin Bartley replaced just before half-time with an injury which will rule him out of Sunday’s Betfred Cup clash against Ross County and possibly for the long term.
He said: “It’s a hamstring and it could be anything from four to eight weeks.”
Molde boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was generous in his praise of Hibs and admitted fortune favoured his side.
He said: “Hibs made it hard for us, they have pace and strength up front and they never allowed us to settle down. You could see the plastic pitch was an advantage for us and we rode our luck a little bit.”