'Brilliant away performance' as Hibs leave Belgium with buckets of belief

What the report says

Hibernian earned a valuable 0-0 draw away to KAA Gent in Belgium in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off, putting the Edinburgh club in a strong position to reach the competition’s league phase. BBC Sport’s Amy Canavan reported that Hibs were backed by about 1,000 travelling supporters and produced a disciplined, defensively secure performance at the Planet Group Arena.

The key moment came when Hibs were awarded a penalty in the first half, but Owen Elding’s effort was saved by Gent goalkeeper Davy Roef. Despite that missed chance, Hibs did not concede and secured their third straight clean sheet. Captain for the night Warren O’Hora and manager David Gray both praised the team’s organisation, courage and defensive work, while Gray stressed that the tie is still only at half-time.

Gent, a Belgian Pro League side, had more of the ball but struggled to create clear openings against Hibs’ back line. The draw means Hibs head into the second leg at Easter Road with a real chance to make history as the first Hibernian side to reach the main phase of a European competition. More broadly, the result underlines the growing confidence around Gray’s side, though a place in the next round is not yet secured.