Hibernian vs Brondby

The on-loan Stoke City forward opened the scoring in the 14th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse at the back post to fire home. Two minutes later, he doubled his tally — and Hibs' lead — by meeting captain Martin Boyle's cross with a near-post header that gave Brøndby goalkeeper William Schmidt no chance.

Brøndby halved the deficit just before half-time when Jordan Obita was penalised for handball and Patrick Mortensen converted the resulting penalty, sending Josef Salinger the wrong way.

Callum Wright was forced off shortly before the interval with a tight thigh, a change David Gray later described as "more precautionary than anything else" (Hibernian FC YouTube). Jason Kerr replaced Adam Mayor at half-time in a quadruple Hibs change, and further substitutions followed on the hour and again in the 68th minute. Brøndby made no substitutions all match.

Lowe's second goal in the 16th minute, just 120 seconds after his opener, effectively decided the contest. Brøndby had barely recovered from the first goal when Boyle threaded a pass wide right, lifted a cross to the back post, and Lowe directed his header past Schmidt. The Danish side never recovered the two-goal deficit despite Mortensen's penalty.

Nathan Lowe (Hibernian) — 2 goals in 120 seconds on his Easter Road debut. The Stoke City loanee's sharp movement punished Brøndby's defensive uncertainty. Gray called his all-round contribution "excellent" (Hibernian FC YouTube). Player of the Match.

Martin Boyle (Hibernian) — The Hibs captain provided the assist for Lowe's second goal with a perfectly weighted cross, and his constant running caused problems for the Brøndby defence throughout the first half.

Patrick Mortensen (Brøndby) — The Danish striker converted his penalty with composure and led the line well for a Brøndby side that otherwise struggled to create clear chances.

Hibernian scored two goals from three shots on target in the opening 16 minutes, establishing a lead that Brøndby could only halve despite the penalty. The home side's eight substitutions — including four at half-time — reflected Gray's focus on minutes management rather than result preservation, while Brøndby's zero substitutions stood out as unusual for a pre-season friendly. Brøndby's sole yellow card (84th minute) was the only booking of the match.

Hibernian conclude their pre-season schedule with two wins from four friendlies (1-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers on 30 June, 5-1 win over Cliftonville on 4 July, and this 2-1 victory). David Gray's side now turn their attention to the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, where they travel to Kosovo to face KF Malisheva on Thursday 23 July (16:00 BST), with the return leg at Easter Road on 30 July.

Nicky Clark (calf) is expected to be out for several weeks, while Jamie McGrath (calf) could return within days. Callum Wright's thigh issue is considered minor.

Brøndby, under new management after Steve Cooper's departure, continue their own pre-season build-up towards the Danish Superliga season, which begins on 25 July away to AGF.

A sharp, efficient pre-season performance from Hibs, with Lowe's early double providing the ideal send-off before competitive football resumes. The defensive concentration that allowed Mortensen's penalty — and the lack of a response after half-time — will need addressing, but the attacking signs are encouraging for a side about to embark on a European campaign.