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Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Star man Bowie and clinical Cadden help Hibs through to UEFA Conference League play-off as boss hails team for surviving huge 'test of character'
David Gray told his Hibs side they came through a huge test of character after edging out FK Partizan on aggregate in a dramatic evening at Easter Road. Rescued by Kieron Bowie's 35-yard wonder goal and Chris Cadden's extra time clincher, the Leith men booked a Conference League play-off with Legia Warsaw. On a night when Dundee United crashed out of the same competition at Tannadice, Hibs looked to be going the same way despite being two goals up from the first leg. A pair of errors in the first half by keeper Jordan Smith allowed Milan Vukotic and Jovan Milosevic to draw the Serbs level in the tie. Bowie's outrageous dipping strike from 30 yards with his left foot put Gray's side back in command only for Andrej Kostic to dramatically level for the 10-man visitors in the 95th minute. Hibs came again and progressed through Cadden's close range strike in the first period of extra-time. Delighted with the way his players dug in, Gray said: 'Trying to analyse that would be difficult, but ultimately it's a brilliant result. 'We found ourselves 2-0 down. The message at half-time was it's all about a massive test of your character. 'It's not about ability, we've just demonstrated you're good enough to do it. It's not to do with shape, the shape was good. 'It's about character and demonstrating it. And we've certainly done that. 'We fully deserve to be in the next round, so it's a fantastic night's work.' Bowie's goal will be talked about for years to come at Easter Road. 'His goal was a special goal for a special night,' added Gray. 'Unfortunately, that actually didn't win the game there and then, but I'm delighted for him on a personal level. He's had a lot of praise recently, and deservedly so, but he's been through a lot as well. Two really long-term injuries, it's a real test of character to keep going into the gym every day, keep working hard. 'To join a new club, then get a setback again, then need an operation on it, to then pull himself through that, and then to do what he's doing now, I think he fully deserves it for everything that he's done up until this point. 'And as I keep saying, there's a lot more to come for Kieran Bowie, which is a real positive for everybody.' Kieron Bowie is ecstatic after his goal lit up the Conference League tie in Leith Gray also felt goalkeeper Smith deserved huge credit for making a string of fine stops after his first half nightmare. 'As a goalkeeper, you've got no hiding place,' he said. 'If you make a mistake, you get punished, and that's what happens. That's why it's quite a lonely position to be in and it takes a strong character to be able to do that. 'As I've just said, I had no doubts about Smudge in the second half. What he does do then is, he doesn't take any risks. He didn't overplay, he didn't put himself in positions again. 'He simplified his game and he made some big saves. That's all you can ask of your goalkeeper in those moments.' Extra-time hero Cadden said: 'This is why you sign for a club like this. This is the best I've seen this stadium in five years since I've been here. It's amazing. We deserve that with all the effort we put in. I'm buzzing.'
BBC News
32 minutes ago
- BBC News
Watters thanks 'unbelievable' fans
Max Watters has thanked the "unbelievable" Dundee United fans after they watched their side suffer an agonising Conference League exit at the hands of Rapid Watters scored twice in the first half of the second leg to give United a 4-2 aggregate lead, but Jim Goodwin's weary side conceded twice before going on to lose on penalties in front of a raucous sold-out Tannadice."They were unbelievable," Watters said of the United fans. "They were there from minute one to the very end. Outstanding. "We have to say thank you to them because it helps us when we're down, when we're struggling, when we're tired."
Metro
33 minutes ago
- Metro
'I played with Viktor Gyokeres - he's not worth £64m and will flop at Arsenal'
A former teammate of Viktor Gyokeres believes he will struggle at Arsenal and says he 'never had him down to be a £64m striker'. Mikel Arteta was desperate to sign a new striker this summer and has put his faith in former Sporting hitman Gyokeres. Gyokeres enjoyed two sensational seasons in Portugal, scoring 97 goals in 102 games and winning back-to-back league titles. Before his productive spell at Sporting, Gyokeres played for three EFL clubs – Coventry City, Swansea City and Brighton. Brighton signed the forward from Swedish minnows Brommapojkarna in 2018 but Gyokeres only made three first-team appearances for the Seagulls before being sold three years later. Metro's new weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal. It was at Coventry that things started to click for Gyokeres, who scored 38 goals in 91 matches in the Championship to earn a £20m move to Sporting. During his three-year spell at Brighton, Gyokeres was sent out on three separate loan deals as he failed to convince the club – and clearly his teammates – of his potential. Former Premier League striker Glenn Murray was at Brighton the same time as Gyokeres and says he 'never had him down to be a £64m striker'. Murray fears Gyokeres is 'not the one' and will struggle to make the grade at Arsenal, who have aspirations of winning the Premier League this season. The former Crystal Palace and Bournemouth star says that while he instantly recognised Arsenal defender Ben White as a superior player at Brighton, he was unimpressed by Gyokeres. 'I don't think Viktor Gyokeres is the one – it's such a big step,' Murray, 41, told BBC Sport. 'I was with him at Brighton and I never had him down to be a £64m striker. 'When Ben White stepped into our first team, right away everyone knew how he good he was – he was of that standard. 'When Viktor came in, it was more a case where you thought he was all right. I am not sure he suits Arsenal's style, either.' Arteta has been in desperate need of a new striker for well over a year and considered new Manchester United signing Benjamin Sesko before Arsenal focused on Gyokeres. The 27-year-old scored his first Arsenal goal in the pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao last week and is set to make his Premier League debut at Old Trafford on Sunday. Viktor Gyokeres has widely been described as the final piece of the jigsaw for an Arsenal side that have come agonisingly close to winning the Premier League. But the same was said about Romelu Lukaku upon his return to Chelsea in 2021 and we know how that worked out. Gyokeres' stats for Sporting were incredible but Darwin Nunez enjoyed similar success in Portugal before underwhelming in the Premier League. It's taken a fair while for Gyokeres, 27, to earn a move to one of Europe's top five leagues. This time two years ago, in fact, he had just spent his fourth successive season in the Championship, scoring a respectable but far from remarkable 21 goals in 46 games. He's an upgrade on Kai Havertz but don't expect mind-blowing returns from a player who has been branded a 'gamble' by the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Lineker. 'I don't think he's the guy,' Rio Ferdinand even said shortly after his £64m move to north London was announced. Mikel Arteta doesn't get too many signings wrong but it was him, remember, who pushed to sign Raheem Sterling last summer. Arsenal were torn between signing Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko earlier in the summer. Time will tell if they made the right decision. Louis Sealey, Metro Deputy Sports Editor Assessing Gyokeres' performance against Bilbao, Arteta said: 'He pins both centre backs. He is a player that the moment you leave him with space one-on-one, he is going to destroy you. 'He's going to create a lot of space for us as well. In any moment or situation, he is a player that can score a goal. 'That first goal is always very important and the way he took it as well, was really, really good.' But Murray is not the only pundit to have concerns about Gyokeres, with ex-Arsenal defender William Gallas suggesting it could take him a while to 'adapt' to the Premier League. More Trending 'Will Viktor Gyokeres be able to adapt straight away? Personally, I don't think so,' Gallas said. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good player, but when players come from abroad we usually see that it takes time. 'Strikers often take time, playing in Portugal is also completely different to playing in England, but Arsenal do need him to adapt straight away because their target is to win the Premier League. 'If I could've chosen between Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, I think Isak would've been a better option. We know he is proven in the Premier League and that he is 100% at the level.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Manchester United set price to sign Sporting star as Ruben Amorim sanctions bid MORE: Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes Chelsea prediction after £250m spending spree MORE: Jamie Carragher says Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta 'stole' £60m star from Liverpool
