Hibs' faint hopes of making further progress in the InterToto Cup came to an end in the Boras Arena this afternoon as Swedish side IF Elfsborg, already enjoying a two-goal lead from the first leg in Edinburgh, completed the job on home soil.
A deflected goal from Mathias Floren after 20 minutes killed off any chance of what would have been a remarkable comeback by Mixu Paatelainen's players who again had to concede second best to a slick, well-organised and disciplined Elfsborg outfit.
And to emphasise the gulf between the sides Emir Bajrami, scorer of the first goal at Easter Road, hammered home a spectacular and unstoppable shot from 22 yards which flew beyond Hibs goalkeeper Andy McNeil and into the top left-hand corner 11 minutes from time.
As promised, Hibs boss Paatelainen (pictured below) made four changes to the side which had gone down 2-0 to the Swedes six days ago, the previously announced replacement of Yves Ma-Kalambay in goal by McNeil brought up to four as Ross Chisholm, Colin Nish and Alan O'Brien joined the starting line-up at the expense of Brian Kerr, John Rankin and Filipe Morais.
For their part Elfsborg made one change, Andreas Augustsson, the scorer of the second goal at Easter Road, being replaced by Stefan Ishizaki having picked up an ankle injury during his side's 1-0 defeat by Gefle in midweek, their first setback at home this season.
Elfsborg began clearly determined to kill off any hope of a Hibs comeback, employing a multi-ball system to ensure there was no break in play as they sought to put Paatelainen's side under early pressure, Anders Svensson fizzing a shot just over before Ishizaki fired a drive into the side-netting.
The Swedes should have taken the lead after just 11 minutes when McNeil's first touch from a Rob Jones passback was heavy, the goalkeeper placing the ball into the path of striker Denni Avdic who took it round the stranded youngster but was dispossessed by a great challenge from Hibs' towering skipper as he prepared to pull the trigger with the goal gaping.
Having survived that scare Hibs went on to enjoy their best spell of the match, O'Brien providing a rare glimpse of his blistering pace to leave Johan Karlsson trailing in his wake only for Elfsborg goalkeeper Johan Wiland to claw away his rising shot.
Teddy Lucic was forced into a terrific block by the effervescent Dean Shiels but, just as the home fans in the sparsely populated Boras Arena were becoming a touch nervous, Elfsborg got the goal they were seeking in the 20th minute and, just like their second goal in Edinburgh, it owed a lot to luck as Mathias Floren's shot took a wicked deflection off Chris Hogg.
McNeil made a despairing effort to get to the ball but it appeared to take a strange bounce off the plastic pitch and into the corner of the net.
McNeil kept Hibs in the game if not the tie as he denied Avdic by pushing his nearpost shot behind before Shiels' corner eluded everyone but Jones at the back post but, caught unawares, he was unable to do anything but let the ball bounce off his midriff and wide.
Despite the loss of that goal, Hibs were still in the same position as they started the game at half-time, needing to score three goals to progress.
But to do so in just 45 minutes was a tall order against a side which, up to this point, had conceded just one at home all season.
O'Brien, however, embarked on a lung-bursting 70-yard run before delivering an inviting cross which Wiland was happy to clutch before Steven Fletcher (pictured top) could get on the end of it.
Colin Nish should have pulled one back for Hibs in the 58th minute when Ross Chisholm's chip found him all alone deep inside the Elfsborg penalty area. The striker chested the ball down only to drill a low shot beyond both Wiland and the far post.
In all truth, Mathias Floren's goal had turned the match into little more than a training exercise for both sides, Elfsborg content with their lead while Hibs watched the clocks above either end slowly tick off the minutes to the final whistle.
But Bajrami brought the home crowd to life again 11 minutes from time with that stunning shot.
IF Elfsborg: Wiland, Karlsson, Lucic, Andersson, M Floren, A Svensson, Danielsson, Ishizaki (J Floren 65), Mobaeck (Berglund 40), Bajrami, Avdic (Kurbegovic 82). Subs not used: Hassan, Sjoberg, Nordmark.
Hibs: McNeil, Van Zanten, Hogg, Jones, Hanlon, Shiels (Stevenson 84), Murray, Chisholm (Rankin 63), O'Brien, Nish (Campbell 84), Fletcher. Subs not used: Ma-Kalambay, Canning, Kerr, Morais.
Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia).
The full article contains 809 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
