Cliftonville FC vs Hibernian

Hibernian needed just six minutes to open the scoring. Jamie McGrath and Owen Elding combined down the right, with Elding floating a cross that Jason Kerr rose to head past PJ Morrison — a textbook set-piece finish from the centre-back.

Cliftonville levelled four minutes later, though. Captain Rory Hale collected a pass from Brian Healy after the midfielder's surging run through midfield and calmly slotted into the far corner.

The parity lasted until the half-hour mark, when Nicky Cadden's shot from range took a heavy deflection off Paul Stanfield and beat Morrison via the woodwork. Three minutes later, McGrath and Elding again combined to supply Martin Boyle, and the Australian international drilled a low finish beyond Morrison to make it 3-1 at the break.

Gray changed shape to a 4-2-3-1 at half-time and introduced Klidje, Chris Cadden, Jordan Obita, Joe Newell, and Raphael Sallinger. The switch paid off inside five minutes of the restart: Kerr nodded down a Nicky Cadden corner and Klidje bundled in from close range.

Cliftonville briefly threatened through Joe Gormley's lobbed effort that clipped the crossbar and a Conor Falls shot wide, while David Green was denied by Sallinger. Lewis Gillie cleared off the Hibs line during a goalmouth scramble.

Klidje sealed the scoring in stoppage time. Kanayo Megwa slipped a clever pass to Chris Cadden, whose low cross was turned in by the Togolese striker at the back post.

Gray's half-time switch to a back four and the introduction of Klidje changed the game's tempo. Inside five minutes of the second half, Hibs had their fourth goal, and Cliftonville never recovered. The 4-2-3-1 shape gave Hibs more penetration through the middle, and Klidje's movement pinned the Cliftonville defence deeper, creating space for the wing-backs to advance.

Thibault Klidje — Two close-range finishes either side of the hour mark, both stemming from good movement in the box. A much-needed confidence boost after a quiet outing against Shamrock Rovers four days earlier, and after a loan spell at Randers in Denmark that yielded limited returns. "Goalscorers get confidence from that," Gray told Hibs Observer afterwards.

Jason Kerr — A goal and an assist. His sixth-minute header set the tone, and his knockdown from the corner supplied Klidje's first. Dominant in the air throughout his 60 minutes on the pitch.

Zach Bruce — The 18-year-old academy graduate caught the eye again in midfield, showing composure on the ball as both a No. 8 and No. 6 across his 30-minute cameo. "He's definitely improving for training with the first team," Gray said. "He can be pleased with what he's done in the two games."

Martin Boyle — A characteristically sharp finish for the third goal. The 33-year-old winger played 45 minutes and looked lively, linking well with Elding and McGrath.

Hibernian's 5-1 scoreline reflected a game that swung decisively after half-time. The first half was competitive — Cliftonville matched Hibs for 25 minutes after Hale's equaliser, and the score was only 3-1 at the break thanks to a deflected strike. But Hibs generated seven or more clear chances across the 90 minutes, with Kerr, Klidje, and Chris Cadden all spurning good openings. Cliftonville's best moments were sporadic: Gormley's chip against the bar and Green's shot saved were their only clear sights of goal after the interval. Hibs played the final 20 minutes a man down after Newell limped off with a groin issue — yet still scored from open play during that spell.

For Hibernian, this was their second pre-season fixture in five days and a clear step forward in fitness and sharpness — Gray said his side "looked fitter and stronger" than in the 1-0 defeat at Shamrock Rovers. Hibs have another friendly scheduled for Wednesday 8 July, where Gray plans to push the 45-minute players up to at least 60 minutes. The real target is the first European qualifier later this month.

For Cliftonville, this was their opening pre-season outing under Jim Magilton. New signings Aaron Wightman and Joel Thompson started, while Ben Quinn, Dan O'Connor and former Hibs defender Kyle McClelland missed out with minor injuries. The Reds face Armagh City at Holm Park on Friday 10 July (7:45pm kick-off).

A professional, controlled pre-season workout from Hibs against a Cliftonville side that competed well for 30 minutes but couldn't sustain it. The depth of Gray's squad — two completely different XIs across the halves, a shape change that worked, and an 18-year-old midfielder looking comfortable — is ahead of schedule for mid-July. Klidje's brace is the headline, but the system flexibility and fitness base are the longer-term takeaway.