Fire-breathing Hibs strike late to avoid dead rubber as VAR proves friend and foe in edge-of-seat encounter

Just when it looked as if Hibs were going to tamely surrender all hope of reaching European league/group stage for the first time, David Gray’s men found a way of inspiring faith among the faithless, belief among those who had long since ceased to believe. And, not for the first time in a continental campaign of high drama, threatened to blow the roof of Easter Road.

Trailing to a penalty from Jean-Pierre Nsame, awarded after a brutally long VAR check that ended with Bushiri being pinged for a handball, and a Pawel Wszolek finish in first-half injury time, Hibs were heading out of the UEFA Conference League. Next week’s trip to face Legia Warsaw in Poland was the deadest of dead rubbers.

And then they showed that character and grit that has been such a hallmark of Hibs under Gray, as Josh Mulligan pounced to score with just four of the 90 minutes remaining. Giving themselves a chance, however slender, of showing a better finishing touch in front of goal when they travel to the Polish capital.

Hibs genuinely created more than enough chances to win this game. Unfortunately, they also gave up plenty – and needed a VAR offside check to prevent them from falling 3-0 down at one stage. But Mulligan’s late strike felt like the least they deserved, given the energy they’d injected into this contest from the very first seconds of play.

To describe the opening exchanges of this contest as breathless would be more than an understatement. It would be an insult to the fare served up by a Hibs side who came out breathing fire and hounding opponents.

But the fact that they didn’t score in that blistering first quarter hour, with Josh Mulligan, Josh Campbell and Kieron Bowie – twice – coming close without finding the net, was always a concern. Because European dramas involving Scottish clubs tend to throw up some fairly predictable, and depressing, plot twists.

VAR giveth, VAR taketh away

In this instance, there was a modern feel to the tale, involving a five-minute video check for an offence that few in the ground had even spotted. A lot of standing around. More waiting while referee Mohammad El-Amara ran over to have a look himself – and then the inevitable groans when he pointed to the spot, having decided that Bushiri had used his arm to block Juergen Elitim’s shot.

Fill in your own complaints about whether an offence so difficult to spot could ever be considered clear and obvious. No amount of arguing, on the field or in the pub afterwards, could change the fact.

Behind at home, not an unusual situation for this Hibs team in the campaign to date, Gray’s men needed to find a foothold. Or at least not slip again.

But Josh Campbell was caught in possession to create an overload towards the end of five minutes added on at the end of the first half. And, from there, Hibs were simply pulled apart.

They rallied after the break, of course, and Rocky Bushiri really should have buried the chance that fell to him five minutes into the second half. Bowie and Mulligan also might have found the net. Yes, it was a running theme.

In the end, Hibs had to be thankful that a third Legia goal – neatly tucked away by Bartosz Kapustka after 61 minutes – was ruled out for offside, eventually. VAR giveth, and VAR taketh away.

There then followed a familiar tale. A plucky Scottish side spending half an hour gamely gambling on throwing more bodies forward – without finding a finish to any number of opportunities. Until they did, as Mulligan pounced on the rebound from Thibault Kildje’s saved header, prompting wild celebrations.

On night when Hibs fans were not short of villains, from VAR to the maddening inequity of the modern handball rule, they’d found their hero.