Hibernian produced a stunning response at Easter Road as they overturned last week’s first-leg defeat to Malisheva with a convincing 4-1 victory, progressing to the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round.
David Gray’s side had been beaten in Kosovo in the opening leg, but there was no repeat of that disappointing display as Hibs dominated from the first whistle on a warm summer evening in Edinburgh.
Three first-half goals from Owen Elding, Felix Passlack and Nathan Lowe put Hibernian firmly in control on aggregate before Martin Boyle added a fourth after the break.
Malisheva did manage to pull a goal back through Omer Bajraktari, but Hibs comfortably held on to secure their place in the next round.
Hibernian made the perfect start and opened the scoring inside eight minutes.Boyle played Elding through on goal and the forward made no mistake, giving the hosts an early lead and immediately shifting the momentum of the tie.
Just a short time later, Hibs doubled their advantage. Felix Passlack found space before cutting inside and sweeping a left-footed finish into the net.
The hosts continued to dominate and could have added even more before the break, with Josh Mulligan and Boyle both hitting the woodwork.Hibernian eventually found a third before half-time, with Boyle again heavily involved.
The winger delivered a dangerous cross towards the back post, where Elding kept the move alive and laid the ball on a plate for Nathan Lowe, who finished from close range to score his first goal since joining Hibs on loan from Stoke City.
Hibs showed no signs of taking their foot off the gas after the interval and continued to create chances.
Their pressure was rewarded in the 57th minute when Boyle finally got his name on the scoresheet.
The Malisheva defence failed to deal with the danger, allowing Boyle to cut inside onto his right foot before firing beyond goalkeeper Ilir Avdyli to make it 4-0 on the night.
Elding and Lowe both had excellent opportunities to add further goals as Hibernian continued to carve the visitors apart.
However, Malisheva gave themselves a brief glimmer of hope when Bajraktari produced an outstanding strike from outside the penalty area to reduce the deficit.
The goal meant Hibs had to remain focused during the closing stages, but Gray’s side successfully managed the remainder of the game to complete a comfortable aggregate victory.
Hibernian’s reward for their impressive comeback is a UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie against North Macedonian side Shkendija.
Shkendija also had to come from behind in their second leg, beating Slovenian side Bravo 3-1 at home after losing 2-1 in Ljubljana in the first leg.
That result saw Shkendija progress 4-3 on aggregate, setting up a meeting with Hibernian.
Hibs will host the first leg at Easter Road on 6 August, before travelling to Tetovo for the return leg on 13 August.
After a disappointing first-leg defeat in Kosovo, Hibernian have responded in emphatic fashion and are now just two matches away from moving into the next stage of their European adventure.