I watched new Hibs No.9 thrill Easter Road fans - what we learned from Brondby win as Stoke loanee shines
Two goals in opening 16 minutes for striker - and Hibs head into Europe with victory to bolster morale
He hasn’t been here a week yet. But new striker Nathan Lowe has wasted no time in winning over Easter Road favourites, the on-loan Stoke City striker making the absolute most of his first outing in a Hibs jersey – and capturing the headlines as David Gray’s men warmed up for their first competitive game of the season with a pre-season win over Brondby.
The Edinburgh side kick off the new campaign in Kosovo on Thursday, with FC Malisheva the opponents in their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round tie. In their final act of preparation for the footballing year ahead, Gray used virtually every available player – and will have seen enough to feel confident about his team’s readiness for the challenge after a stop-start 2-1 victory over the Danes.
New Hibs No. 9 Lowe bagged two goals in the opening 16 minutes, capitalising on a goalkeeping howler before combining with strike partner Martin Boyle to put his team two clear of their Danish opponents. His first came with 13 minutes on the clock, as a Miguel Chaiwa long ball was dinked over the head of young goalie William Sonne-Schmidt by Jordi Vanlerberghe, leaving Lowe with a tap-in.
The second followed just moments later, Lowe stooping to head home a Boyle cross. The on-loan Stoke City striker, who had already impressed with his physicality and ability to hold up play, was well on his way to instant fan favourite status.
A Brondby penalty, awarded for a Jordan Obita handball from a flicked on cross and converted by striker Patrick Mortensen just before half-time, before the contest was disrupted by multiple substitutions – and a couple of formation changes – for both sides. There was still time for a few to impress, of course, with Rafa Sallinger making one great late save to preserve the victory.
So what did we learn? Let’s dive in.
Selection and shape
Grant Hanley desperately needed this 45 minutes to sharpen up after taking a much-needed break at the end of Scotland’s disappointing World Cup campaign. Gray was keen to see a few new faces in action against quality opposition.
Trying to read too much into the starting XI, then, is a fool’s game. Don’t expect to see this line-up in Pristina. But there was still plenty to chew over in assessing exactly how the home side lined up.
For starters, although any formation is never quite set in stone, Hibs looked to have switched to a 4-2-3-1 – with a few minor tweaks here and there - that allowed Boyle to roam in from the right wing. With Lowe leading the line as a lone striker at times, and Callum Wright providing running support from midfield, it looked effective enough.
Multiple changes saw Hibs change personnel and shape after the break, switching up to a more familiar 3-5-2 formation. And then slipped into a 4-4-2 after another raft of changes. Gray has spoken about adding tactical flexibility this season; this may be a sign of things to come.
New faces catch eye
Well, it’s obvious that Hibs punters enjoyed their first look at Lowe, who has all the physical attributes needed to justify being handed the No.9 jersey. It’s going to be fascinating to see how he matches up to the average man-eating SPFL centre-half, once the domestic campaign kicks off.
Adam Mayor lined up on the left wing, effectively, in his first outing for Hibs. And the Kieran Tierney lookalike – check it out – was a solid six out of ten before being given a breather at the break.
Callum Wright put in a fair bit of effort before limping out of play just before half-time, the attacking midfielder replaced by home-grown talent Rudi Molotnikov. Jason Kerr slotted into the middle of the back three in place of Hanley at half-time, the former St Johnstone star seemed comfortable enough.
European preparation
Hibs jet out to Kosovo on Wednesday morning knowing that they’ve put in plenty of hard pre-season yards in recent weeks. This was just a step up in terms of profile and difficulty, with the presence of home fans – not in great numbers, but still enough to apply just a little pressure – a reminder that the real thing is just around the corner.
Owen Elding getting half an hour at least shows that he’s fit to play, which is a massive bonus; the kid remains on course to be an absolute sensation in his first full season as a Hibs player. With Boyle also looking more than lively for an hour, Thibault Klidje getting 45 minutes under his belt and Lowe hitting the ground running, Hibs won’t be short of attacking options as they mount their assault on European football.