Six minutes from scribbling their names in the history books, these Hibs players instead join a unwanted list of many players who have suffered, and badly, in the green and white.
It was all going so well. A sensational second-half performance had them on the brink of one of the best nights this club has seen in modern times. They were relentless in their pursuit of turning the tie in their favour for the first time.
Jamie McGrath and Martin Boyle were tremendous. The former set up Kerr, while the latter deserved a goal for his spearheading performance.
His substitution would have initially sent shivers down supporters spines, but any such concerns were forgotten of one minute later when Passlack had them jumping and hugging each other.
From that moment, it was a game of management. Fifteen minutes or so of control required, no chaos. Clearly, so much easier said than done.
It was a corner they never should have conceded. It was a counter attack that should never have been so easily executed. Small moments, fine margins, huge ramifications.
In the first-half, Nathan Lowe inexplicably blasted into the stands after bearing down on goal. That was after Gent had a goal of their own disallowed in the opening minutes for a foul on goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger.
Hibs have been here before, though. They've put their supporters through the wringer more times than they care to admit.
Gray called for history, a special night. Even when that – their dream – was unfolding, though, there was an air of inevitability about what was on the precipice.
This lot know pain like few others. But there seems to be something particularly scarring about this defeat.
Image source, SNS
