ADO Den Haag 2 - 1 Hibernian: Dream start for Hart but Hibs fail to capitalise

A MUCH-CHANGED Hibs side got off to a dream start as Michael Hart claimed his first goal for the Edinburgh club but were eventually forced to concede defeat for the second time in this, the third match of their ten-day trip to Netherlands.

Hart's opener came with just 65 seconds on the clock but the Eredivisie outfit ran out worthy winners thanks to a Danny Buijs' strike ten minutes later and a second from Lex Immers 17 minutes into the second half which was enough to separate the sides.

Hibs manager John Hughes had to push the furore surrounding the absence of Sol Bamba, claim and counter-claim hard on the heels of each other after the failure of the Ivory Coast defender to join his team-mates following World Cup duty in South Africa, to one one side to focus on continuing to put the final touches to preparations for next Thursday's entry into the Europa Cup.

Having stated his plans were being laid on the basis that Bamba won't be around to face either Videoton of Hungary or Slovenia's Mirabor in the first leg of the third qualifying round, Hughes paired new signing David Stephens, just 18, and Paul Hanlon, only two years older than his team-mate, in central defence, one of eight changes made from Monday night's victory over NEC Nijmegen. Despite the changes, however, Hughes persisted with the 4-5-1 formation which he has employed throughout the visit to the Netherlands, Anthony Stokes, the lone striker on this occasion supported by Danny Galbraith and Derek Riordan in the wide areas.

Riordan took over the captain's armband with Chris Hogg among the substitutes and again made an immediate impact, gratefully accepting the opportunity after Anthony Stokes had been felled to curl in a free-kick from 20 yards which crashed back off the crossbar, Hart stooping low to head home the rebound.

However, it took ADO only ten minutes to equalise, with Frantisek Kubik tricking his way past Hart to deliver a low cross which found Buijs all alone at the back post to slot the ball beyond the helpless Michael Brown.

Hibs should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time, the normally reliable Stokes contriving to fire wide from 12 yards. The Edinburgh club were made to pay with the simplest of goals 62 minutes in, Toornstra allowed the time and space to pick out the head of the unmarked Immers to nod home.

ADO Den Haag: Coutinho, Ammi, Derijck, Bosschaart, Toornstra, Buijs, Immers, van den Bergh (Visser 76), Verhoek, Supusepa, Kubik. Subs: Boks, Kum, Powel, Ignacio, Gielisse.

Hibernian: Brown; Hart (Wotherspoon 56), Stephens (Hogg 65), Hanlon, Stevenson (Murray 65); Thicot; McBride, Currie (De Graaf 56); Galbraith (Miller 56), Stokes, Riordan (Nish 65). Subs not used: Smith, Rankin.

Referee: Maarten Ketting.