Players in pain over Hibs loss to Malmo

IT may be scant consolation for Hibernian and their shell-shocked supporters but Thursday night's record European defeat to Malmo actually could have been worse.

The Swedes claimed their seventh goal, ninth on aggregate, with 72 minutes showing on the Easter Road clock and, at that point, had demonstrated little sign that they had any mind to slow up. The prospect that we could be looking at double digits crossed Lewis Stevenson's mind too, only for the final 18 minutes to pass without further wounds being inflicted. Hibs, by that point, had suffered more than enough.

Stevenson has been at Easter Road since he was a boy and endured many low points, including heavy defeats in the last two Scottish Cup finals, 5-1 to Hearts and then 3-0 to Celtic. This was another night to forget for the 25-year-old.

"I have played in a lot of games when we have been well and truly beaten and not been the better team, but that was a different level against Malmo," he admitted. "'I can't remember ever being beaten like that in a Hibs strip. I think it was 6-0 when we played Barcelona [in a friendly at Murrayfield in 2008].

"The cup final [loss to Hearts] was low and this is a major low as well. We are not in Europe that often and everyone was looking forward to the experience. But we have not done ourselves any favours at all. Malmo are a good team. But no matter how good they are, we shouldn't be getting beat 7-0. I feel numb now."

The defeat was Hibernian's worst ever European result and surpassed Rangers' 12-4 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt as the highest ever aggregate score suffered by a Scottish club. Stevenson knew he would be forever linked with that.

"I try not to look at these things at the best of times. But when you are part of something like this then it is not nice. I'm sure it will come up in history in years to come. To be honest, we are all devastated.

"The first 10 minutes were decent enough, but then we collapsed after losing one goal. That's what annoyed the gaffer most. It happened a few times last season, but not on that scale. It's something that has to be cut out totally."

Hibs have never really been allowed to forget the cup final mauling at the hands of Hearts and Stevenson hoped this one wouldn't similarly be allowed to fester.

"We have to try and forget it. I don't think anyone has got any answers just now but I'm sure that when we watch the video we'll find ways for that.

"But the only way we can do that is by putting on a performance and getting a result against Motherwell [in the opening league match]."

Taken from the Herald