Can Hibs recover from calamity in Kosovo?

The Hibs fans who paid for at least two flights, a hotel, beer and the rest might struggle to see any positives right now.

Gray said the only one chink of light is they have a chance to fix it next week at Easter Road. Had Lowe taken his two good chances to level the game at 1-1, it might have been a different story.

Malisheva, for all their strength at home, have never won away from Kosovo in their three seasons in Europe. Vikingur put eight goals past them in Iceland last season.

This is largely the same Hibs team who did brilliantly in Europe last season.

They pushed Midtjylland, one of the best sides in the Europa League last term, to extra-time before dismissing Partizan Belgrade. They only lost to Polish giants Legia Warsaw in extra-time to miss out on the Conference League.

Three years ago after losing 2-1 to Inter Club d’Escaldes, Hibs smashed them 6-1 at Easter Road to progress anyway. So all is not lost, even if the mood is gloomy.

“To a man today, there’s not many that can put their hand up and say, we were where we needed to be,” Gray said.

“To win any game of football [you need], seven, eight, nine players all playing at the highest level they can play.

“If we can go and get that at home, which is now absolutely required, every single man to go and do that.

“The players are hurting in there right now. But that’s when you need to stick together and you need to take it on the chin and understand that there is an expectation, a demand when you come and play for this football club, and a responsibility to deliver.”