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'
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.'
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Glasgow Times
14 minutes ago
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Chris Cadden's extra-time strike sends Hibernian into Conference League play-off
The Hibees led 2-0 from the first leg in Serbia but their advantage was wiped out by half-time after two costly mistakes from goalkeeper Jordan Smith. Kieron Bowie's 59th minute wonder goal put the William Hill Premiership side back in front and they looked to be in full control when the visitors had Nikola Simic sent off shortly afterwards. But Partizan struck deep into stoppage time to go 3-1 ahead on the night and force extra-time, where Cadden landed the decisive blow of an epic third qualifying round encounter. Manager David Gray had stressed that Hibs needed to approach the second leg as if the tie was still level, and they responded with a purposeful start in which Cadden spurned a great chance just a couple of minutes in. The visitors soon started to settle into the game, however, and they reduced their aggregate arrears to one in the 17th minute. Milan Vukotic's strike from just over 30 yards was well executed but Smith – diving to his left – should have done better than help it into the net after getting both his gloves to it. The goalkeeper's evening took a further turn for the worse in the 44th minute when he meekly allowed Partizan to level the tie. Smith appeared to have done enough to block Jovan Milosevic's low shot from just inside the box but it somehow squirmed under his body and trundled agonisingly over the line, prompting jeers from a shellshocked home support. Gray resisted the temptation to substitute Smith at the interval, and the errant Englishman would have been mightily relieved when things swung back in his side's favour in spectacular fashion in the 59th minute. Bowie seized on a bouncing ball just over 30 yards out and unleashed an audacious lobbed effort that looped over the helpless Marko Milosevic, who was little more than a yard off his line. The Hibees' situation got even better four minutes later when Partizan – as was the case in the first leg – were reduced to 10 men after Simic, who had been booked at the end of the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Bowie. Smith redeemed himself somewhat with three big saves in the closing stages but he was unable to stop substitute Andrej Kostic netting from just inside the box with the last kick of normal time. Hibs were not to be denied, however, and Cadden followed up to ram home the rebound in the 10th minute of extra-time after Josh Mulligan had surged into the box and been denied by Milosevic.
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17 minutes ago
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Chris Cadden's extra-time strike sends Hibernian into Conference League play-off
The Hibees led 2-0 from the first leg in Serbia but their advantage was wiped out by half-time after two costly mistakes from goalkeeper Jordan Smith. Kieron Bowie's 59th minute wonder goal put the William Hill Premiership side back in front and they looked to be in full control when the visitors had Nikola Simic sent off shortly afterwards. But Partizan struck deep into stoppage time to go 3-1 ahead on the night and force extra-time, where Cadden landed the decisive blow of an epic third qualifying round encounter. Manager David Gray had stressed that Hibs needed to approach the second leg as if the tie was still level, and they responded with a purposeful start in which Cadden spurned a great chance just a couple of minutes in. The visitors soon started to settle into the game, however, and they reduced their aggregate arrears to one in the 17th minute. Milan Vukotic's strike from just over 30 yards was well executed but Smith – diving to his left – should have done better than help it into the net after getting both his gloves to it. The goalkeeper's evening took a further turn for the worse in the 44th minute when he meekly allowed Partizan to level the tie. Smith appeared to have done enough to block Jovan Milosevic's low shot from just inside the box but it somehow squirmed under his body and trundled agonisingly over the line, prompting jeers from a shellshocked home support. Gray resisted the temptation to substitute Smith at the interval, and the errant Englishman would have been mightily relieved when things swung back in his side's favour in spectacular fashion in the 59th minute. Bowie seized on a bouncing ball just over 30 yards out and unleashed an audacious lobbed effort that looped over the helpless Marko Milosevic, who was little more than a yard off his line. The Hibees' situation got even better four minutes later when Partizan – as was the case in the first leg – were reduced to 10 men after Simic, who had been booked at the end of the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Bowie. Smith redeemed himself somewhat with three big saves in the closing stages but he was unable to stop substitute Andrej Kostic netting from just inside the box with the last kick of normal time. Hibs were not to be denied, however, and Cadden followed up to ram home the rebound in the 10th minute of extra-time after Josh Mulligan had surged into the box and been denied by Milosevic.
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19 minutes ago
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Chris Cadden's extra-time strike sends Hibernian into Conference League play-off
The Hibees led 2-0 from the first leg in Serbia but their advantage was wiped out by half-time after two costly mistakes from goalkeeper Jordan Smith. Kieron Bowie's 59th minute wonder goal put the William Hill Premiership side back in front and they looked to be in full control when the visitors had Nikola Simic sent off shortly afterwards. But Partizan struck deep into stoppage time to go 3-1 ahead on the night and force extra-time, where Cadden landed the decisive blow of an epic third qualifying round encounter. Manager David Gray had stressed that Hibs needed to approach the second leg as if the tie was still level, and they responded with a purposeful start in which Cadden spurned a great chance just a couple of minutes in. The visitors soon started to settle into the game, however, and they reduced their aggregate arrears to one in the 17th minute. Milan Vukotic's strike from just over 30 yards was well executed but Smith – diving to his left – should have done better than help it into the net after getting both his gloves to it. The goalkeeper's evening took a further turn for the worse in the 44th minute when he meekly allowed Partizan to level the tie. Smith appeared to have done enough to block Jovan Milosevic's low shot from just inside the box but it somehow squirmed under his body and trundled agonisingly over the line, prompting jeers from a shellshocked home support. Gray resisted the temptation to substitute Smith at the interval, and the errant Englishman would have been mightily relieved when things swung back in his side's favour in spectacular fashion in the 59th minute. Bowie seized on a bouncing ball just over 30 yards out and unleashed an audacious lobbed effort that looped over the helpless Marko Milosevic, who was little more than a yard off his line. The Hibees' situation got even better four minutes later when Partizan – as was the case in the first leg – were reduced to 10 men after Simic, who had been booked at the end of the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Bowie. Smith redeemed himself somewhat with three big saves in the closing stages but he was unable to stop substitute Andrej Kostic netting from just inside the box with the last kick of normal time. Hibs were not to be denied, however, and Cadden followed up to ram home the rebound in the 10th minute of extra-time after Josh Mulligan had surged into the box and been denied by Milosevic.
