From jeers to chants: David Gray’s swift redemption at Hibernian

David Gray went from facing jeers after Hibernian’s 2‑0 first‑leg defeat in Kosovo to hearing his name sung by Hibs fans at Easter Road on Thursday, when the side overturned the deficit with a 4‑0 second‑half surge.

Hibernian supporters who travelled to eastern Europe made it clear they were unhappy with the 2‑0 loss to Malisheva, a result that left the club’s European Conference League hopes hanging by a thread. The head coach was under pressure after the torrid display in Kosovo last week.

Gray stressed that the result and the manner of the defeat were unacceptable, insisting the only way to answer doubters was on the park. He promised a response on the field rather than in the dressing room.

In the second half at Easter Road on Thursday, Hibs scored four goals and secured an aggregate victory, prompting fans to sing Gray’s name to the rafters. The chants celebrated the team’s response to adversity rather than his past Hampden heroics as a player.

The comeback was led by the evergreen Martin Boyle, who helped erase the two‑goal deficit within 15 minutes and later made it 4‑0, leaving Hibs appearing unstoppable. By the time Boyle danced past bewildered defenders, the momentum was firmly with the home side.

There was a drop‑off in the last 20 minutes as Malisheva pulled a goal back, but Gray chose to focus on the positives. "We spoke about the intensity we want to play at, the intent from the start to play forward, run forward and get the crowd behind us," he said, adding that the team hit the woodwork a couple of times and missed three or four big chances.

When asked about relief after last week’s disappointment, Gray admitted the enjoyment of winning is fleeting for a coach. "It’s different for a coach winning games to being a player," he explained, noting that relief kicks in and then the next game arrives.

Hibs were without the creative threat of Jamie McGrath, Nicky Cadden and summer signing Callum Wright, yet the front three of Boyle, Owen Elding and Nathan Lowe all got on the scoresheet. Elding and Lowe found the right positions, with Lowe’s physicality set to challenge Premiership centre‑backs this season.

Malisheva are a side Hibs should be beating; they have never won away from Kosovo in their three seasons in Europe, and Vikingur previously put eight goals past them in Iceland. This underlines the contrast between European lightweights and the tougher challenge of facing Motherwell in the Premiership.

Motherwell’s Fir Park saw New Zealand winger Elijah Just and manager Jens Berthel Askou leave over the summer, yet the Steelmen have progressed in Conference League qualifying under new boss Alfred Johansson. Gray expects the same intensity when Hibs return to Easter Road in three days’ time.

"We’re in the next round and can take that momentum into Motherwell," Gray said. "We’re ready for Thursday‑Sunday‑Thursday – that’s what everything in pre‑season has been geared up for."