Hibs set up Villa showdown
There must be a top hat and stuffed white rabbit lurking at the back of Lee Johnson’s cupboard such is the Hibs manager’s conjuring abilities when it comes to outrageous, desperately required, results.
And, frankly, after back-toback league losses to open the campaign, the 2-2 draw at the homeofluzernthathasbanked theleithclubthejuiciestofconferenceleagueplay-offsagainst Astonvilla–andareunionwith former favourite John Mcginn – should earn the Englishman entry to the magic circle.
The smart money was on any hopes of progress disappearing in a puff of smoke in Switzerland. Even with a flattering 3-1 advantage going into the deciding leg of the third-round qualifier. Instead, with telling moments from his sorcerers Elie Youan and Martin Boyle, Hibsweresomehowabletoperformthefootballingequivalent of sleight of hand. Withstanding pressure they have a horrible habit of buckling under to earn a spectacular 5-3 aggregate success.
After an in-charge Luzern countered Youan’s early opener with two goals, they were left with a quarter of the second leg to turn the tie with two more goals against wearylooking opponents. This climax seemed a given, especially with Hibs’ backline so brittle as Kemal Ademi headed in a corner unchallenged after 67 minutes. But as if waving a wand, Youan bedazzled Marco Burch to get in control of a high punt, and after a darting run and shimmy on the byline, was able to pick out Boyle to sweep in. Hey. And presto.
Inside the opening 10 minutes of the encounter at the swiss po rare na the thousand-strong Hibs travelling support would have been experiencing hot flush es over their team fashioning the start they craved. And desperately needed. Johnson maintained the restoration of Youan, Boyle and Josh Campbell would infuse his starting line-up with the energy criminally missing in their 2-1 loss at Motherwell at the weekend when Christian Doidge, Jordan Obita and Jimmy Jeggo were in their stead. Youan immediately seemed to provide his assessment correct when he seized on a misplacedluze rn throw in at the half-way line. Galloping forward before letting fly from the edge of the area, fortune favoured Youan’s fizz as his effort clipped the left boot of Burch to loop over the head of the help less keeper pascal Loretz.
It seemed too good to be true for the Leith club that they could engineer a 4-1 advantage in the tie and so it proved with the home side equalising a mere six minutes later. The goal was cruel on David Marshall, who superbly pushed Max Meyer’s effort towards his left touch line, only for the ball to be retrieved and cutback inside for Jakub Kadak to drill in.
Hibs’ backline then displayed a sense of anxiety every time stefan wolf’ s men launched diagonal high balls in from the flanks as the home side took control. Which by rights they should have lost just after the half hour. Only for Nicky Beloko to escape a red card the midfielder ought to have been brandished for tuggingback boy le as last man with the winger boring into the box. As unbelievable as so much of the evening was, ultimately this didn’t prove telling.