Hibs keep Conference League dream alive by overturning first-leg defeat against d'Escaldes

Hibernian have kept their Europa Conference League group stage dream alive by overturning a first-leg defeat to knock-out Andorran side Inter d’Escaldes with a convincing 6-1 win in Edinburgh.

A Martin Boyle inspired home side scored three first-half goals to go ahead in the tie before another three after the break to secure a 7-3 victory on aggregate over the Andorran side.

Lee Johnson’s side will now play Luzern from Switzerland in their next qualifier as they look to secure group stage football alongside Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and potentially Hearts.

The Premiership side suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat in Andorra last week but they arrived at Easter Road with the bit between their teeth and took the game to the visitors from kick-off.

Boyle equalled the aggregate score when he put Hibs 1-0 up after ten minutes on Thursday night on his long-awaited return to the team after missing most of last season with injury.

First choice keeper David Marshall was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Jojo Wallacott and Lee Johnson was then forced into another goalkeeping change when the Englishman was injured after 15 minutes of the game.

He was replaced by Polish keeper Max Boruc, who is the cousin of former Celtic and Poland stopper Arthur Boruc, for the remainder of the game.

Australian international Boyle then made it 2-0, and 3-2 on aggregate when he scored a header on the 20th minute to put Hibs ahead on aggregate for the first time in the tie.

Christian Doidge made it 3-0 on the half-hour mark to give Hibs some breathing space in the tie when he fired home an overhead kick.

The home side took a commanding lead into the break as they looked to book their place in the next round of qualifying.

And Josh Campbell all but secured qualification when he made it 4-0 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate with a looping header at the start of the second-half.

Doidge thought he had his second of the game after an exquisite pass from substitute Dylan Levitt ten minutes later but the goal was ruled out for offside, despite replays suggesting it was the wrong decision.

But they never had to wait long for number five when Campbell scored again to make it 6-2 on aggregate and the floodgates were well and truly open when Youan made it 6-0 on the night and 7-2 on aggregate just four minutes later.

Navarro scored for d’Escaldes for a consolation goal with seven minutes remaining to deny Boruc a clean-sheet on his debut.