Hibernian will take a 3-1 lead into the second-leg of their Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie against Swiss side Luzern after a pulsating victory at Easter Road.

With a play-off against Aston Villa awaiting the winners, Hibs struck first moments after the interval with a wonderful strike from Joe Newell.

Ismajl Beka nodded Luzern back level in the 57th minute.

But debutant Dylan Vente headed home with 18 minutes remaining and Jordan Obita added a third in the 90th minute as Hibs took charge of the tie heading into next week’s second leg in Switzerland.

Despite Sunday’s 3-2 home league defeat to St Mirren, Hibs manager Lee Johnson opted to be ambitious with his team selection.

New signing Vente was plunged straight in after resolving work permit issues to partner veteran striker Adam Le Fondre in attack.

With wingers Martin Boyle and Elie Youan providing attacking intent on the flanks of a four-man midfield, the Easter Road side were set up to be bold going forward and it paid off in the end.

But they had to do a lot of defending in the opening 20 minutes as Luzern showed their class on the ball.

Home keeper David Marshall was called into action after just five minutes to prevent Hibs from going behind early.

Martin Frydek clipped a superb pass over the top of right-back Lewis Miller to find winger Teddy Okou but his shot across goal was palmed away by Marshall.

Hibs got a sniff of a chance in the 27th minute from a long Miller throw. Skipper Paul Hanlon won the first contact and the ball eventually fell for Will Fish, whose attempted volley was blocked.

Dylan Levitt scrambled back with a last-ditch touch to prevent Max Meyer from a clear shot on goal as Luzern threatened again.

Soon after it was Hibs’ turn as Newell found Le Fondre’s intelligent run down the right but his attempt to find Vente at the near post was cleared, before Boyle’s 25-yard drive was tipped over by Luzern goalkeeper Pascal Loretz.

It was Hibs who opened the scoring just 18 seconds after the interval.

Boyle’s tenacity blocked a clearance on the right and Le Fondre helped it on for Vente whose smart lay-off was drilled into the top corner by Newell.

The lead lasted just 11 minutes. Luzern earned themselves a second corner in quick succession and Meyer’s in-swinging delivery was headed in by Beka.

Hibs regained the lead when Le Fondre crossed for an unmarked Vente to nod in from six yards.

Both teams continued to go for the jugular and substitute Christian Doidge almost grabbed a third for Hibs but his near-post shot from a low Boyle cross clipped the crossbar on the its way over.

Two minutes later at the other end, Pius Dorn’s drive crashed back off the crossbar with Marshall well beaten.

With the home side starting to look for the full-time whistle, they found a third from nowhere.

Luzern put themselves into trouble with a cross-field pass that Obita seized on to race clear and slot home.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson admitted he ignored medical advice to accelerate Martin Boyle’s comeback before the winger’s double sent his side on their way to European redemption.

Boyle was a surprise starter as Hibs made amends against Inter d’Escaldes in a 6-1 second-leg victory to set up a Europa Conference League third qualifying-round tie against Swiss side Luzern.

The winger had only played 45 minutes in pre-season, against Blackpool on Saturday, but made his first competitive appearance in nine months and struck the first two goals on his return from a serious knee injury.

Johnson said: “I believe in him and I believed he would (make an impact) because I have seen him every day.

“I have been as frustrated as anybody and in fact I went against medial guidance last week to play him at Blackpool with this game in mind.

“I had to question myself a little bit, whether it was desperation to put him in, but it’s more about the balance of the team and what we require to be as elite as we were.

“It was needs must in one sense but he was also ready. He passed all the physical markers on Tuesday.

“He has worked extremely hard and he has been champing at the bit to get on earlier. We are very proud of him of how hard he has worked but he will be very happy and he will sleep well I am sure.”

Hibs overcame the blow of losing goalkeeper David Marshall to a tight hamstring in the warm-up and then debutant Jojo Wollacott to a thigh injury early on. Max Boruc came on for his own debut and had little to do before conceding an impressive late consolation goal.

Hibs had well and truly banished the pain of last week’s 2-1 defeat in Andorra by that point, with the help of Josh Campbell’s double and goals from Christian Doidge and Elie Youan.

Johnson added: “It was a difficult game last week. Obviously we have taken a lot of stick but we never lost our belief and that showed in this performance. There was no edginess, the players were still confident, we played our way.

“They are dangerous, they can play up to the big nine, they have two tricky wingers. We had to get on the front foot and disrupt their back four. That’s what we did and that’s why they couldn’t handle us.

“We broke their spirit early, which was key. Every man was at it.”

Martin Boyle made a triumphant return as Hibernian bounced back from their shock defeat in Andorra to move safely into the next round of the Europa Conference League with a 6-1 win over Inter d’Escaldes.

Boyle hit an early double on his first appearance in nine months to set Hibs on their way to a 7-3 aggregate victory at Easter Road.

Josh Campbell also scored twice and Christian Doidge and Elie Youan were on target as Hibs made up to the travelling fans who launched a vitriolic response to their team’s defeat seven days earlier.

Hibs survived injuries to two goalkeepers to progress to a tie against Swiss side Luzern or Swedes Djurgarden, who kicked off later in the evening.

Boyle was a surprise inclusion in a team which showed six changes to the one that lost last week. The Australia international’s previous game for Hibs was in late October, when he suffered a knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.

Boyle had been taken to Andorra for what manager Lee Johnson described as “cheerleading” duties on the bench but he was drafted straight into the starting line-up after playing 45 minutes of a friendly against Blackpool on Saturday.

The winger made his mark inside 10 minutes. Boyle ran on to Joe Newell’s pass over the full-back and rolled the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper raced off his line only to palm the ball off the wide player.

Hibs suffered a blow when Jojo Wollacott’s debut was cut short by a thigh problem after replacing David Marshall when the former Scotland goalkeeper suffered an injury in the warm-up. Max Boruc came on for his own debut.

Hibs doubled their lead midway through the half when the unmarked Boyle headed home Newell’s cross from seven yards.

Doidge netted an overhead kick in the 29th minute after Will Fish had headed against the bar and the goals continued three minutes after the interval.

Campbell took advantage of hesitancy in the visiting defence to loop a header home after Doidge’s flick-on, and the midfielder tapped home his second in the 61st minute following good wing play from Youan.

Youan soon smashed the ball high into the net to make it six and there were other chances for Hibs to give their supporters further cause to wonder how they had managed to lose so poorly in the first leg. Substitute Dylan Levitt saw long-range volley tipped over and Doidge had a goal ruled out for offside.

There was a late reminder that their opponents had some quality in their ranks in the 83rd minute when Angel De La Torre arrowed an excellent finish into the top corner for a consolation goal which prompted applause from some of the 13,840 crowd.

It was Inter’s first effort on target of the night but Boruc went on to make a decent late stop with his foot.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson called for fans to maintain belief ahead of their second leg against Inter d’Escaldes as he claimed it was too strong to describe their 2-1 defeat in Andorra an embarrassment.

Joe Newell’s stoppage-time free-kick gave Hibs a lifeline after they conceded in each half of the first leg of the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.

Johnson asked for negativity over their defeat to be kept under control ahead of next Thursday’s return leg.

“I’m super disappointed,” he said. “The word ’embarrassing’ feels strong considering the tie is not over.

“I knew, I told you guys, these are not a bad side. They remind me of my dad’s Cheltenham side when they were doing very well in League Two.

“We don’t have any given right to go and beat anybody unless we are at it.

“We have to be  on the front foot, aggressive, confident, brave and bold, and we weren’t that until we took a punch on the nose and made a couple of changes.

“Individuals have got to hold their hands up and be responsible, I have got to hold my hands up and be responsible, but what we don’t need is the tension and the tightness of the negativity to seep into the players’ performances.

“The fans have got to maintain belief. We need everyone in the second leg to give us that bolster.”

Slack defending saw Hibs fall behind in the 15th minute and they struggled to respond before Johnson brought on Christian Doidge and Newell at half-time.

Even then chances were at a premium before David Marshall spilled a weak shot after a goal kick had bounced over Lewis Stevenson’s head, and Jean-Luc doubled the home side’s lead in the 71st minute.

Hibs suddenly found some urgency to their play and Johnson could not understand where it had been at the start of the game.

“I’m majorly disappointed with the first-half performance, I thought it was really, really poor,” he said. “We didn’t acclimatise, whether that was conditions or altitude.

“The lads knew everything about the opposition, we had studied them deeply, and they were good. You have to give the Andorrans credit, they worked extremely hard.

“There were far too many unforced errors from us. You could give them credit, you could say it was good pressing.

“There were too many individual poor decisions. We should have been better in our decision-making and our execution.

“We took a bit of stick and that was fair. Second half was much better.

“I made some half-time substitutions and they did well and I thought we had opportunties to maybe even go on and win the game.

“The second goal is an absolute suckler punch, a poor couple of errors which senior players will hold their hands up to, no doubt.

“And Joe Newell’s goal really was ever so important because this is a completely different game now going back to Easter Road, big wide pitch, fans behind us.

“We have to be careful not to be too negative, certainly not in-house.”

Joe Newell’s stoppage-time free-kick gave Hibernian a lifeline during an embarrassing 2-1 Europa Conference League defeat in Andorra.

David Marshall’s howler had left Hibernian facing an uphill battle to avoid an early exit as home side Inter d’Escaldes went two ahead in the 71st minute.

A day after Hibs announced Marshall would hand the captaincy back to Paul Hanlon after a season with the armband, the 38-year-old’s fumble allowed the home side to double their lead in the second qualifying round first leg.

Marshall had been left utterly exposed for the home side’s 15th-minute opener and there were very few positives for manager Lee Johnson in his first European game until Newell’s intervention.

The midfielder drove a low effort from 20 yards after Elie Youan was tripped on the edge of the box and the home goalkeeper could not keep it out.

Hibs still face a fight to overturn their deficit and set up a clash against Swedes Djurgardens or Swiss side Luzern in the next round.

Youan and Josh Campbell had efforts comfortably saved early on for Hibs but there were warning signs of the consequences of slack play inside their own half shortly before the opening goal.

Marshall was called into action to make a good stop before Hibs again soon found themselves under pressure.

Lewis Stevenson was left out of position after trying to win a header near the halfway line and Ander El Haddadi had space and time to pick out a man when Rocky Bushiri’s attempts to cover failed to put enough pressure on the wide player.

Right-back Adrian Gallego was completely unmarked and knocked home from close range after Marshall had made an excellent stop from his initial effort.

Hibs struggled to make any inroads for the rest of the half and Christian Doidge replaced Elias Melkerson at half-time to join debutant Adam Le Fondre up front while Newell came on for Dylan Levitt.

Doidge had a decent shot parried and then misdirected a header from 12 yards but Hibs generally laboured in possession.

There was much worse to come for Johnson’s side after a goal kick bounced over Stevenson’s head and allowed El Haddadi to get a speculative first-time effort on target.

Marshall got down to make what looked like an easy save but the former Scotland goalkeeper fumbled and Jean-Luc had the simple task of tapping home from close range.

Hibs discovered some urgency as they looked for a lifeline. Le Fondre forced a good save from a header and both he and Doidge missed chances before Newell netted.

Youan’s ball across the face of goal threatened to set up a late leveller but Hibs were defeated.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson believes standing David Marshall down as captain will suit the goalkeeper as well as the team.

Paul Hanlon has been restored as Hibs captain after Marshall wore the armband in Johnson’s first season in charge.

The 38-year-old faces fresh competition for the gloves with former Swindon keeper JoJo Wollacott, who joined on a three-year deal this summer.

But Johnson confirmed that Marshall would start in goal on Thursday when Hibs face Inter Club d’Escaldes in the first leg of the Europa Conference League second qualifying round in Andorra.

Johnson added: “It allows Marsh to concentrate on that goalkeeping battle.

“One of the big things is positionally on the pitch, you are trying to get information to players and it’s not easy to go by your captain when he’s in goal and 50-60 yards away.

“When I came through the door, don’t forget, Paul Hanlon was injured. I didn’t know anybody and at that point David Marshall was probably the only one in the squad I could guarantee would play.

“Marsh is a leader anyway, that’s a factor in this after having a discussion with Marsh.

“And also both ways, Marsh is also taking on an awful lot in terms of his future. He is doing a sporting directorship, he is doing his coaching badges as well, and being captain of a football club like this takes an awful lot of time up.

“You’d be surprised, just the little things like arranging the bonuses, the tickets, all that type of stuff, is a really important factor.”

Hanlon has played 535 times for Hibs and sits fifth on the club’s all time appearance holders list.

“With Paul having been here a while, it probably suits him best this season,” Johnson added.

“It’s clear for everyone to see that Paul is extremely trusted, that he has strong leadership and communication skills, and by playing in the centre of defence it allows him to get messages around the whole team quickly and effectively.”

Hanlon is one of several players Johnson has been mining for information ahead of his own European debut.

“I will have to lean on the experience of the boys,” the former Sunderland manager said.

“I have had a lot of conversations with the lads that have played in these European games because I didn’t play in European competition and nor have I managed in that.

“You can do all the work in the world in terms of studying the opposition but inevitably experience is always welcome. I don’t feel like we are short of it, the lads are well versed in foreign competition.”

Johnson revealed Martin Boyle would be on the bench in Andorra in a “cheerleading” capacity and would not feature as he continues his comeback from a serious knee injury.

Hibernian forward Harry McKirdy has been ruled out for up to six months with an unspecified complaint which requires surgery.

Pre-season tests flagged up a problem for the 26-year-old, who joined the Easter Road club from Swindon last September.

Hibs released a statement on their website which read: “At the start of pre-season, like his team-mates, Harry underwent the usual scans and tests to ensure he was fit and healthy ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

“Those scans, however, revealed an issue that needed further investigation by the club’s medical staff and doctor.

“After that investigation, and seeing a specialist, it has been confirmed that the 26-year-old will need surgery, which will rule him out for between four and six months.

“The club’s medical team are confident that Harry will return to full fitness following his rehabilitation period.”

Boss Lee Johnson said: “This has come as a real shock for us all and has been a tough few days for Harry as we came to the bottom of what the scans meant.

“We’re all with him, have to rally around him and give him as much support as possible.

“We have a first-class medical department that will look after him and make sure he comes back fit and healthy.”

Hibernian will take on Vikingur of the Faroe Islands or Andorran side Inter Club d’Escaldes in their European opener.

Hibs begin their campaign in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League on July 27. Details of the fixtures are still to be confirmed.

Lee Johnson’s side were seeded in the draw and avoided some tough opponents in their section such as Danish side Aarhus or Swedes Hammarby.

Inter were seeded in the draw for the first qualifying round. They beat Faroese opposition, HB Torshavn, in the Champions League qualifiers two years ago, and also beat Fiorita of San Marino last season.

Inter ultimately went out at the second qualifying round of the Conference League last season, losing to Romanian side Cluj 4-1 on aggregate after a first-leg draw.

Vikingur beat opposition from Gibraltar in the Conference League qualifiers last season before suffering a 4-0 aggregate defeat by Slovakian side Dac in the second round.

Hibernian have allowed Croatian left-back Marijan Cabraja to return to his homeland to sign for HNK Rijeka.

The terms of the 26-year-old’s transfer are undisclosed, although the cinch Premiership club have secured a sell-on clause.

Cabraja joined Hibs last summer from Dinamo Zagreb on a three-year deal but after a promising start in which he appeared to have become first-choice left-back, he lost his place to long-serving veteran Lewis Stevenson after the World Cup break.

The Croat also had to contend with the death of his father just weeks after his move to Easter Road. He made 26 appearances – 19 as a starter – for Hibs in all competitions.

“We’d like to thank Marijan for all his hard work and dedication,” said manager Lee Johnson.

“This transfer works well for both of us and allows Marijan to compete back in his homeland, Croatia. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Cabraja is the second under-contract player to depart Hibs since the end of the season after striker Kevin Nisbet was sold to Millwall last weekend.

The Hibs squad return for pre-season next week, while they will learn their Europa Conference League second qualifying round opponents when the draw is made next Wednesday.

Hearts and Hibernian have been served with a notice of complaint by the Scottish Football Association after disorder among their players and staff at the end of last weekend’s fiery Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.

At full-time, following a clash that ended 1-1, two skirmishes erupted on the pitch, one directly in front of the two technical areas and another just moments afterwards in the centre circle.

Hearts goalkeeping coach Paul Gallacher and substitute shot-stopper Ross Stewart as well as Hibs manager Lee Johnson and unused substitute Rocky Bushiri were all shown red cards for their part in the post-match chaos.

And on Friday it emerged that the two clubs have been charged, alleged to have breached disciplinary rule 204, which states that: “All clubs and recognised football bodies shall procure that its officials, team staff, employees and players conduct themselves in an orderly fashion at all times during and/or after a match.

“In particular, clubs and recognised football bodies are responsible for ensuring that its officials, team staff, employees and players refrain from any one or a combination of the following: (a) becoming involved in a confrontation; b) conduct that is likely to lead to or to exacerbate or prolong a hostile or argumentative situation with players and/or team staff from the opposing team and/or match officials; (c) conduct that may otherwise incite disorder.”

The hearing for both clubs is due to take place on June 29.

Hibernian are braced for the departure of Kevin Nisbet after Sky Bet Championship club Millwall had another offer for the Scotland striker accepted.

The London club tried to sign the 26-year-old in January but he decided to remain at Easter Road as he had only recently returned from a nine-month lay-off with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

However, Nisbet – who was recalled to the Scotland squad this week after scoring 12 goals in the season just finished following his return from injury in December – admitted last week that there was a good chance he would be moving on this summer.

The former Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers and Dunfermline forward, who has a year left on his contract, has now been given another chance to speak with Millwall after their latest offer was accepted by the Hibees.

Hibs will definitely be without another key player for the start of next term after confirming on Thursday that Chris Cadden has ruptured his Achilles and will be out for “a significant period of time”.

The right-back was carried off in the second half of last Saturday’s cinch Premiership draw away to Hearts, with the club immediately fearing the worst.

Hibs revealed on Thursday that Cadden has already had surgery on his Achilles as he starts a recovery process that is expected to run deep into next season.

The Edinburgh club also announced that Jake Doyle-Hayes, who was forced off 16 minutes prior to Cadden in last weekend’s showdown at Tynecastle, has damaged his shoulder girdle.

The Irish midfielder is set to miss the start of pre-season but the Hibees are “hopeful” that he will be available for the start of competitive action.

“Firstly, I would like to wish Cadds and Jake a speedy recovery,” manager Lee Johnson told Hibs’ website.

“Everyone is devastated for Cadds and I know he will be going through a difficult time, but as staff and players, we have to rally around him and give him as much support as possible.

“We have a first-class medical department at the club that will help him through his recovery and ensure he comes back fitter and stronger.

“With Jake, this type of injury was the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, it looks like he will miss the start of pre-season, but we know how determined he is to return as quickly as possible, so he can have a big impact for us next season.”

Hibernian’s Chris Cadden is facing the prospect of missing most of next season amid fears that he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.

The 26-year-old was carried off in clear distress after landing awkwardly while making a headed clearance in his own box midway through the second half.

Hibs also lost Jake Doyle-Hayes after he dislocated his shoulder in an eventful showdown in Gorgie, while manager Lee Johnson confirmed afterwards that on-loan Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley, who suffered a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s win over Celtic, will be out well into the new campaign.

The injury to Cadden is of most concern, however, with players typically out for the best part of a year when damaging their Achilles.

“Not good, they look like bad ones, so our thoughts go out to them,” said Johnson when asked for an update after the Hearts match.

“I think Jake’s dislocated his shoulder and Cadds may have ruptured his Achilles, so that’s not good, obviously.

“With CJ’s hamstring as well, it looks like he’s going to be out for three or four months, so that’s three big players.

“Two are on contract but one potentially we could have got back next year, so we will have to rethink with a short summer ahead of us.”

Despite playing for an hour with an extra man after Alex Cochrane’s dismissal, Hibs – who equalised through Kevin Nisbet after Yutaro Oda’s early opener – were unable to find the winner that would have lifted them above Hearts into fourth place in the table and guaranteed them European football next term.

The fifth-placed Hibees will still get a crack at the Europa Conference League as long as Celtic beat Inverness in next Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.

“I’m proud of the second half of the season,” said Johnson, reflecting on his first campaign at Easter Road.

“If I look at the big picture now of where we are compared to where we were, we’re in a fantastic place to progress.

“I will make changes over the summer, without a question of a doubt, there will be ins and outs. I’m not finished, we’re not finished.

“Everything is looking up, the points tally (eight out of 15) in the top six has been good.

“I felt we should have beaten Aberdeen which potentially could have been another two points.

“We’ve got the summer to build that 30 per cent within the squad that we’re after – a bit more quality, change the dynamic a little bit, freshen the group up and then we go again.”

Steven Naismith, who oversaw two wins, three draws and two defeats in his seven games in interim charge of Hearts, declared himself “ready for management”.

“This period was definitely a big indicator,” said the 36-year-old.

“I have spoken to clubs in the past but you have this feeling of ‘am I ready?’, And every manager I’ve spoken to has said that if you could coach for 10 years you will never know when you’re ready, but what this has done is give me a taste of it and I know I’m ready and I think I’ve shown that.

“These are the five hardest fixtures of the season, at a time when the squad is really low and I’m proud of what we’ve done. I’m ready for it.

“The conversations will now start to see whether I’m the man to take Hearts forward or not but I’m looking forward to those conversations.”

Lee Johnson believes Hibernian’s 4-2 victory over Celtic helps prove that he has not been all talk when discussing his “dream” for the Edinburgh club.

The Englishman has spoken bullishly about having the Hibees competing at the top end of Scottish football on a consistent basis since taking charge a year ago.

Although his team have struggled for consistency in his first season at the helm, they have delivered big wins over Aberdeen, Hearts and now Celtic, while also taking a point off Rangers.

Wednesday’s victory over the Hoops guaranteed that Hibs will finish at least fifth in the Premiership – a position that will be enough to qualify for the Europa Conference League if Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final – while they have the chance to leapfrog city rivals Hearts into fourth by winning this Saturday’s Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.

“It’s not just about confidence for this weekend, it’s about the future,” Johnson said when asked about the effect of the win over Celtic. “I feel like I’ve been selling this dream and at times we’ve fallen a bit short of delivering it but at times we’ve also proved it.

“The Hearts game at home here was a big result, Aberdeen away even though we drew, Aberdeen at home. We can compete against these guys and that belief has to build.

“The belief in us, the belief in me, the belief in the players, the belief that the fans will stick by us when we are one or two goals down because we can genuinely come back.

“Our next step is to obviously try and secure Europe. We get an opportunity to do that on Saturday and if that doesn’t come to the fore we hope Celtic can do us a favour by winning the cup.”

Hibs became only the third Scottish team to defeat Celtic this term after Rangers and St Mirren also achieved the feat. Johnson believes victories over the Glasgow sides are essential for his team to progress.

“I’ve harped on about getting closer to the Old Firm, taking points off them, and every point you get against those teams is almost like a point and a half in terms of how much it counts for because the others don’t get them,” he said.

“St Mirren have had some really good wins and performances against the Old Firm this year and it makes a difference.

“We have to compete. This club deserves to be competitive in these games and budgets are what, eight or nine times what ours are?

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t get an organised, motivated, hungry, talented XI plus subs out on the pitch and I think you saw that against Celtic.”

Hibs lost both CJ Egan-Riley and Joe Newell to injury against Celtic, and both will be assessed ahead of the Hearts game.

“CJ is struggling,” said Johnson. “It looks like he’s done his hamstring. Joe Newell is looking more likely to be available.”

Jimmy Jeggo believes Hibernian can recover from Sunday’s setback against Rangers to keep themselves in contention for a European place.

The Hibees had not lost in four games before the 3-1 cinch Premiership defeat to the Light Blues where goals from Gers skipper James Tavernier, Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell rendered Paul Hanlon’s added-time header as a consolation.

Lee Johnson’s side are in fifth place – two points ahead of St Mirren, four points behind Hearts and six behind Aberdeen – with European places potentially available up to fifth place in the league as long as champions Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.

Hibs finish the campaign with two tough matches, at home to Celtic and away to Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Jeggo remains positive.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who signed from Belgian club Eupen in January, said: “There were positives but there are still a lot of things we need to improve when it comes to these types of games to get a little bit closer.

“But we are at that stage in the season where we need results.

“We are still in with a chance of European football, which is our aim. It is about taking the positives from Sunday, looking at the things we need to improve on and then taking them into the game on Wednesday night, which will be a similar game.

“We know where we are as a team and we want to keep building.

“We feel that over the last couple of weeks we have taken a step forward and it is about continuing that.

“It is that time of the season where there is no point getting too down about things.

“We know we have to go out there in the next couple of games and do a job. We know it is going to be difficult, but we are ready for that.

“There is still an overriding sense of confidence in the team that we can do what we need to do to get a European place.

“A club like Hibs has to be in Europe. We are all well aware of the expectation.

“As players, that’s where we want to be. We know there are two really big games coming up and it is going to be difficult.

“But the gaffer is clear. We are building and there is another window coming up and all that kind of stuff.

“It is a big advantage to the club having European football and also for us as a team. It provides us with more challenges to grow and more challenges to get better.”

Skipper James Tavernier celebrated his 400th competitive appearance for Rangers with the opening goal in a 3-1 cinch Premiership win over Hibernian at Easter Road.

The Gers right-back beat Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall with a 30-yard free-kick in the 33rd minute and Ianis Hagi doubled the visitors’ lead in the 55th minute with his first goal since January 2022, before his lengthy knee injury absence.

Todd Cantwell added a third in the 88th minute before Hibs defender Paul Hanlon reduced the deficit in added time.

The defeat leaves Lee Johnson’s side four points behind fourth-placed Hearts and six behind Aberdeen, with European places potentially available up to fifth place in the league as long as Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final

Hibs host Celtic on Wednesday before the Edinburgh derby against Hearts on the final day of the season.

Rangers, with second place guaranteed, finish the campaign with a home game against Hearts before travelling to St Mirren on the last day of the season.

Michael Beale already had a lengthy injury list when he confirmed before the game that defender Connor Goldson was ruled out for 10 weeks, the problem unspecified.

However, the Gers boss made only two changes to his starting line-up with Hagi in for Rabbi Matondo and 19-year-old centre-back Leon King replacing Goldson for his first start since November

Tavernier had the Hibs defence in trouble with a series of early corners in which defender John Souttar’s header came off the crossbar and King’s header blocked inadvertently by Gers midfielder Ryan Jack.

Hibs, unchanged from last week’s draw at Aberdeen, worked their way into the game but Rangers remained the more dangerous, a neat move ending with striker Fashion Sakala forcing a save from Marshall with a low drive.

The home side began to cope better with the Ibrox threat and in the 23rd minute striker Kevin Nisbet came close with a header from an Elie Youan cross, after the Hibs wideman had got the better of Tavernier.

However, the Gers captain made a more marked impression on the game after Cantwell was fouled wide on the left by CJ Egan-Riley.

With most expecting a cross into the middle, Tavernier curled the ball in at the near post with Hibs captain Marshall slow to get across and unable to keep the ball out the net.

The Easter Road side took some time to recover but might have levelled in the 41st minute when Nisbet’s wonderful curling pass found Josh Campbell at the back post but the midfielder could only hit the side-netting on the stretch.

Early in the second half, Gers keeper Robby McCrorie, who had looked unconvincing, was out of position when Nisbet’s close-range header floated just past the post, just before Scott Arfield replaced the injured Gers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

Rangers’ second goal came from Tavernier’s long ball into the box which was headed down by Sakala and although Hagi’s first effort was blocked by Hanlon – it looked as though the ball hit the arm of the Hibs defender – the Romania international drove in at the second attempt.

Marshall saved another effort from Sakala and the other end, Nisbet headed substitute Ewan Henderson’s corner against the post – it was not going to Hibs’ day.

In the 79th minute Marshall tipped a John Lundstram drive over the bar before Cantwell prodded in from close range to seal the points after the Hibs keeper failed to deal with a Tavernier effort, with Hanlon netting a consolation goal for the hosts when he headed in a corner in the third of four added minutes.