Hibernian and Gent met in the UEFA Conference League playoff round on Wednesday evening, and the visitors edged through with a 3-2 victory after an eventful ninety minutes. The two sides had already shared a goalless draw two weeks earlier, so this was the tie-breaker, and Gent's away goal proved decisive.
And here's the thing about the opening half — it was Gent who struck first. J. Vergara found the net in the 39th minute, and Hibernian went into the break chasing the game. They had a moment of their own at the other end, but M. Boyle's effort in the 47th minute was ruled out by VAR, leaving the hosts frustrated.
By then the mood had shifted. J. Kerr pulled one back in the 56th minute, and F. Passlack restored Hibernian's lead just before the hour mark when he scored in the 77th minute. C. Burgess levelled for Gent in the 84th minute, and that was when the game really opened up.
The final minutes were a blur. M. Chaiwa turned the ball into his own goal in the 91st minute, and moments later the same player was shown a red card for a second booking. Hibernian had won the battle for discipline until that point, but they paid for a sloppy closing.
Gent dominated possession at 56 per cent and created slightly more, with 1.24 expected goals to Hibernian's 1.03. Both sides registered five shots on target, but the visitors' efficiency made the difference. Hibernian completed 406 passes to Gent's 522, and the hosts won more aerial duels, yet it wasn't enough.
Gent now progress to the next round on away goals. Hibernian's campaign ends here, and they'll have to live with the knowledge that three or four moments decided the tie — not the statistics they piled up on the night.