HIBERNIAN 2 GENT 3: Hibs fall at the final hurdle once again as last-gasp Gent ensure there's no European sunshine on Leith

A slice of history slipped painfully from Hibs’ grasp on a frantic night in Leith as they crashed out of the UEFA Conference League to a sickening stoppage time own goal by Miguel Chaiwa.

David Gray’s team were on course to lead their club into the league phase European football for the first time ever after goals from Jason Kerr and Felix Passlack overturned Josue Vergara’s first-half opener for Gent.

They could not see the job out, however, as Christian Burgess equalised for the Belgian side with six minutes remaining before Chaiwa’s wretched moment denied them even extra time.

It was a desperate end to an evening which promised so much for Gray and his players but instead saw them join Rangers and Motherwell in failing to negotiate the Conference League play-offs.

Gent are seasoned operators at this level, having reached the league phase of the competition in four of the five previous campaigns.

On what was always likely to be a tense evening, they looked the slightly more assured and threatening side in the early exchanges.

Moving the ball patiently but slickly through the thirds of the pitch, Gent created the first opening of the night for Abdelkahar Kadri, whose shot from the right edge of the Hibs penalty area was well blocked by Adam Mayor.

Owen Elding’s absence in attack after failing a late fitness test was a blow for Gray’s side but Martin Boyle provided a bright response when he turned smartly amid a ruck of bodies in the box and saw his shot deflected just over.

Gent were quick to reassert themselves at the other end, however, and there was a major let-off for Hibs in the 12th minute. Momodou Sonko broke free on the left when Passlack failed to track his run and the Swedish wide man flashed the ball low across the face of the six-yard box.

The unmarked Vergara looked certain to turn it home but somehow mistimed his lunge at the ball and failed to connect.

Sonko then had a shot bravely blocked by Chaiwa before Tibe de Vlieger fired wide after being given far too much time and space on the edge of the box by the Hibs defence.

The first goal of this tie always looked like it might be crucial and it should have come Hibs’ way in the 27th minute. Boyle did brilliantly to send Nathan Lowe racing clear in behind the Gent defence with a perfectly weighted reverse pass.

The on-loan Stoke City striker found himself with only Gent keeper Davy Roef to beat but completely lacked composure as he scooped his shot over from around 14 yards.

It felt like a moment Hibs may come to regret and Gent were soon back on the front foot as the hosts became increasingly ragged in their work.

Matties Volckaert had a shot held by Raphael Sallinger before another dangerous Sonko cross picked out Vergara who should have done better than head straight at the Hibs keeper.

Gent were visibly growing in conviction, however, and deserved to take the lead six minutes before the interval. Hibs were again exposed down their right flank as Gent left-back Tiago Araujo surged forward to deliver a cross.

Vergara made up for his earlier lack of deadliness in spectacular style, turning brilliantly before smashing a rising left-foot shot which Sallinger got a hand to but couldn’t prevent from flying into the roof of his net.

The atmosphere inside Easter Road inevitably fell flat but Boyle did his best to reignite hope for the home fans when he cut in from the left and forced Roef into his first significant save of the night as he got down well at his near post to turn the ball wide.

Two minutes into the second half, the stadium fully found its voice again when Boyle bundled the ball home from close range after Josh Mulligan’s mis-hit shot had bounced up into his path. The celebrations were soon subdued by a VAR intervention which saw Spanish referee Juan Munuera rule the goal out for handball.

Gray was booked for his livid protests at the decision but his mood, along with most of those in a crowd of almost 19,000, was lifted dramatically when Hibs did equalise in the 56th minute.

Playing with far greater pace and urgency, they forced a corner which Gent could only clear as far as Jamie McGrath on the edge of the box. His shot was blocked by Volckaert but the Irish midfielder regained possession and floated a cross from the left to the back post where Kerr rose to head powerfully beyond Roef.

Gray had urged his players to bring a cup final level of intensity to the occasion and they were now fulfilling that demand. Mulligan, growing into the game as a driving force in midfield, had a shot held by Roef as Hibs sought to capitalise on the momentum now with them.

Gent came close to turning the tide again when Burgess headed against Sallinger’s left hand post from Mathias Delorge’s corner as the tie remained very much on a knife edge.

Hibs looked like they had struck the decisive blow when Passlack fired home an angled drive after a superb one-two with Mulligan in the 77th minute.

Gent’s resistance was unbroken, though, and after Burgess headed them level again from Laszlo Benes’ corner, the roof fell in on Hibs in stoppage time. They coughed up possession cheaply and Gent’s rapid counter attack saw El Hadji Seck’s low cross turned into his own net by Chaiwa under pressure from Ibrahima Cisse.

Hibs misery was compounded when Chaiwa was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the final whistle.