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Hibs spared boo-boy treatment by Euro late show - but improvement is needed O’Hora gives Hibs something to build on in Skopje on fraught night in capital This was far from vintage Hibs, but Warren O'Hora's late winner means they have a slender advantage in this Conference League third qualifying round tie with FK Shkendija. In a first leg that was devoid of quality for long periods, O'Hora popped up in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to give Hibs a narrow lead ahead of next Thursday's return in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje. The 2-1 scoreline was flattering; had this game ended goalless, few would have complained. The first 73 minutes were wretched, a contest addled by slack passing from both teams and little guile. But goals change games and when Owen Elding broke the deadlock, Shkendija replied almost immediately through Marko Gjorgjieveski to set up a tense finale that was settled by O'Hora's divine intervention. It was important in the context of the tie but also for the mood around Hibs. The natives were getting restless, clearly irked by their team's slipshod display and the prospect of heading to the Balkans without an advantage. Boos would likely have greeted the full-time whistle had the game ended in a draw; by the end the players were heartily applauded off. Oh the fickle nature of football. Hibs haven't convinced so far this season and without their injured chief creators in Nicky Cadden and Jamie McGrath, they did not have anyone who could show invention. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, deep-lying midfielders Josh Mulligan and Miguel Chaiwa struggled and new signing Adam Mayor wide left had an uncomfortable game. But what they lacked in brains they made up for in brawn. Hibs deserve credit for finding a way to prevail, which is what they failed to do in their Premiership opener on Sunday against Motherwell. The second leg will be an altogether tougher assignment, especially as temperatures in Skopje are forecast to reach 35C. The heat will certainly be turned up. Fireworks and flames greeted the teams on a chilly summer's evening in Edinburgh and unfortunately for the 13,132 crowd, that was as exciting as it got in the first half. Shkendija settled swiftly into their new surroundings and dominated possession without achieving anything substantial. Hibs had the first chance on 13 minutes when a deep delivery from Mayor to the back post was headed wide by Jason Kerr. Owen Elding then surged forward from a midfield position and drilled a shot narrowly past the post on 17 minutes, but that was the best of it from a Hibs perspective. Their only other moment of note was a soft O'Hora shot that Ferat Ramani fielded comfortably. Hearts losing at Benfica gets big cheer The half-time whistle was most welcome given the paucity of quality, and the biggest cheer of the night thus far came when the PA gleefully told spectators that Hearts were losing 3-0 to Benfica. There was no discernible improvement after the restart. Hibs huffed and puffed but were using a leadless pencil to draw pictures. Mulligan shanked a decent chance over the bar, leading to some jeers from a now frustrated crowd. It was no surprise to see Gray turn to his bench just before the hour mark, with Boyle - nursing an Achilles issue - and the ineffective Mayor coming off for Ante Suto and summer signing Callum Wright, who was making his debut. Suto immediately made a difference with direct running and a smidgen of composure. His neat reverse pass set up Felix Passlack and his vicious drive from distance was deflected into the grateful arms of Ramani. The bigger impact came from Wright, whom Hibs brought in from Wigan. The 26-year-old was always keen to look ahead rather than sideways and on 73 minutes his bit of skill made the difference. A neat turn on the left flank took him away from two Shkendija defenders and his pinpoint low cross was met by Elding inside the six-yard box and he guided the ball past a stranded Ramani. Gray took off Mulligan for Azeem Abdullai and before the new midfielder could settle, Hibs' lead was wiped out within two minutes. Shkendija's own substitute Gjorgjievski was sent through on goal by Arbin Zejnullai and the striker provided a cute finish with the outside of his boot to level. Shkendija had been managing the clock before the two surprise goals and their time-wasting intensified in the closing stages. Festim Ademi's men were happy to leave Scotland with a draw. They were to be denied. At the beginning of stoppage time, Jordan Obita swung in a corner kick and while Kerr's header struck the post, the ball rolled into O'Hora's path and he found the net. Kerr had another header fisted away by Ramani. A two-goal lead wasn't merited but Hibs at least head east with a little wind in their sails. Comments Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.