The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Defensive shocker but Easter Road men win
Part-timers go 2-0 up after four minutes but Hibs advance
Hibernian escaped embarrassment in the Faroe Islands to advance in the Europa League with a 6-4 win over NSI Runavik last night.
The Edinburgh side were all but sure of their place in the second round of qualifying after a 6-1 win at Easter Road in the first leg last week but were made to work by the part-timers before clinching a remarkable 12-5 aggregate win.
Klaemint Olsen finished the game with a hat-trick against a woeful Hibs backline and helped put the hosts two goals up inside the opening five minutes to give Neil Lennon’s side a scare.
John McGinn scored on his return to the team, while David Gray, Lewis Stevenson, Efe Ambrose and Stevie Mallan (two) were also on target to make sure of their progression, but it was by no means impressive.
It was a sign of things to come as Ambrose sliced into his own net after 40 seconds under no pressure, and Olsen made it two just four minutes later against a shell-shocked Hibs defence.
They responded well, with McGinn volleying in at the back post before Stevenson smashed a stunning strike in off the post to make it 2-2 after 16 minutes.
The visitors were again shocked on the break as Marvin Bartley was caught in possession and Olsen fired in a 20-yarder.
Gray equalised shortly before the break and Ambrose tapped in from a McGinn free-kick after the change of ends as heavy mist descended on the ground with Hibs ahead for the first time.
They could not put the game to bed however, as Olsen capitalised on Ryan Porteous’ woeful header back to Adam Bogdan to make sure he would be taking home the match ball and draw the scores level once more.
Mallan, just as he did in the first leg, stepped up to curl a brilliant free-kick into the top corner for a 5-4 lead and finally made sure of the win when his speculative 30-yard effort wrong-footed the keeper for the sixth.