Sport: Rangers progress but Hibs fall short in Europa League qualifiers
Hibs boss wants to strengthen after Europa League defeat in Norway exposes ‘thinness’ of his squad
Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon hopes he is given the funds to pursue his ambitions of progressing on the European stage after a frustrating exit at the hands of Molde in Norway last night.
The capital club can look back on their Europa League exploits with plenty of pride, having eliminated both Runavik and Asteras Tripolis in the first two rounds of qualifying. However, the 3-0 defeat by Molde at the Aker Stadium, following a goalless draw in the first leg at Easter Road last week, brings the adventure to a close and denies Hibs a place in the play-off round.
Lennon believes this should be the “benchmark” for his side, but insists that will require strengthening following the loss of influential midfielder John Mcginn to Aston Villa.
“We’ve competed very well in Europe,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of money to spend and we’ve lost our best player [Mcginn]. It’s still very early in our season and the boys can be proud of their efforts.
“Can this be the benchmark? 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.
“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. But now I’m looking to have a strong season domestically.
“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–but a few of the players will have some regrets over the two legs.”
Those “regrets”, specifically, come in the form of gilt-edged chances missed by Martin Boyle and Jamie Maclaren, with the latter heading against the post from six yards.
“I always felt we were in the tie. We had good chances – in the first leg as well – and we didn’t take them so we only have ourselves to blame,” he continued. “We’ve let this one slip. Boyle got in a couple of times and we should do better. We’ve hit the post as well.
“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 goal was academic. I felt 3-0 flattered Molde.”
Such profligacy was not an issue for Molde, who were able to call upon young striker Erling Braut Haaland, who looks every inch the superstar he is being billed as. He scored twice and set up Fredrik Aursnes’ “killer” goal.
“I thought Haaland was the difference between the two teams,” Lennon acknowledged. “You can see why he is a very sought-after player. I can’t berate my players. Molde are a good side and I wish them well in the competition.”
Erling Braut Haaland lived up to the hype as Molde’s £10 million-rated man ended Hibernian’s Europa League adventure with a virtuoso performance.
The 18-year-old displayed prodigious pace and power to torment the visitors, scoring twice and teeing up Fredrik Aursnes as the hosts prevailed with a 3-0 victory.
If, as is expected, he usurps John Carew as the most expensive ever export from the Norwegian top flight by joining Salzburg, it will surely be merely a stepping stone to one of the continent’s most prestigious leagues. This kid is special.
Hibs never gave up the ghost against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stylish side, striking the post in the second period, but were simply unable to handle Haaland. In years to come, one suspects that will be seen as no shame.
The reverse brings to an end a decent continental campaign that included victories over Runavik and Asteras Tripolis, with Molde progressing to the play-off round as Hibs put their passports away for another year.
Around 600 Hibs supporters made the journey to Norway’s west coast, with fans’ group Hibernian Supporters Limited even organising a charter flight when the club were unable to oblige, and they made their presence felt in the sleepy seaside town throughout the day.
A raucous atmosphere was created much to the bemusement – and occasionally amusement – of the locals. That continued within the confines of the Aker Stadium, with the travelling fans drowning out their rather more sedate hosts. An intimidating cauldron of hate, this was not.
Nevertheless, their team is handy. It took only four minutes for Molde to threaten, with Efe Ambrose forced into a last-ditch block when a bright corner routine culminated in Pawel Cibicki getting a shot away from the edge of the box.
Any notion that Hibs would adopt a safety-first approach was quashed by the selection of Jamie Maclaren, pictured, and Florian Kamberi, reunited in attack for the first time since the Australian returned to the club, and in-form Martin Boyle as a wing-back. But it was Molde who made the early running.
Of their profusion of attacking threat, Haaland is the teenage talisman. He missed the first leg stalemate after travelling to Austria for transfer talks with Salzburg but returned to the side as that potential switch continues to prove a protracted affair.
However, he passed up a glorious opportunity to give Molde the lead when he escaped the attention of Ryan Porteous to meet a Cibicki delivery, only to send his header wide from eight yards. Cibicki was electric in the early stages – and is a name that may prompt some horrific flashbacks for Hibs fans, given he was in the Malmo team that obliterated Pat Fenlon’s hapless side 7-0 at Easter Road in 2013. He fizzed a shot over the bar with 20 minutes on the clock.
Haaland was most definitely making his presence felt in an almighty physical scrap with Porteous – at 6ft3ins he does not carry himself like a youngster. However, he was struggling to find his range. He skewed another effort wildly off target following a fine Eirik Hestad pass.
Stevie Mallan’s repeated speculative drives from distance were a feature of the first meeting of these sides in Edinburgh – striking the crossbar with one – and the midfielder was at it again in Norway when he stung the palms of Andreas Linde from 25 yards.
Haaland’s profligacy was never likely to persist, however, and he gave the hosts the lead ten minutes before the break. A deep Aursnes freekick was headed across the face of goal by Ruben Gabrielsen, allowing Alf-inge’s lad to nod home from point-blank range.
It was deja vu all over again when Mallan, seeking an immediate riposte, forced a sharp low save from Linde on the cusp of half-time.
The goal changed little in the sense that Hibs always required a goal in order to progress, and they almost claimed it when a tempting Maclaren cross found Boyle at the back post. However, he failed to steer his effort on target from a prohibitive angle.
Hibs were made to pay for that wastefulness when Molde doubled their advantage. Haaland was once again pivotal, out-muscling Ambrose to latch on to a through ball before coolly squaring the ball for Aursnes to roll into an empty net. In desperate need of a response to keep their European dream alive, there was heartbreak for Hibs as Maclaren hit the post with a header following a cutback by Lewis Stevenson.
And the icing on the cake for the hosts was provided when Haaland slammed his second of the night beyond Adam Bogdan after a Hestad shot had deflected into his path via Paul Hanlon.