Hibs crash out in Ukraine

Sub Alex Melaschenko scored twice as Dnipro beat Hibs 5-1 in the Uefa Cup.

The SPL club travelled to the Ukraine with the tie still very much alive after a goalless draw at Easter Road, but they were effectively sunk by half time.

Derek Riordan cancelled out Sergiy Nazarenko's early goal for the home side, but Bogdan Shershun and Oleg Shelaev gave Dnipro a two-goal cushion by the break.

Hibs pushed to get back into the match in the second half and had their chances, but they were punished on the break as Alexsandr Melaschenko scored twice to seal the tie.

Tony Mowbray's side made the worst possible start, falling behind inside the opening 30 seconds as Nazarenko's shot took a deflection and wrong-footed goalkeeper Zbigniew Malkowski.

Riordan missed a good chance to draw his side level, as he was denied by keeper Artem Kusliy after racing clear of the home defence, but he made no mistake in the 24th minute.

Gary Caldwell's pass found the Scotland international in the penalty area and he controlled the ball on his chest before volleying into the corner.

However, the visitors were ahead in the tie on away goals for only two minutes before Dnipro struck again when Shershun blasted in after Steven Whittaker had blocked Denis Andrienko's shot on the line.

Things got worse when Chris Hogg was adjudged to have fouled Sergey Kornilenko in the penalty area and Shelaev calmly scored from the spot.

Hibs threw everything at their opponents in the second half and had the ball in the net through Ivan Sproule, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

Riordan should have scored when Sam Morrow's low cross found him six yards out, but he side-footed a golden chance wide of the target.

Five minutes from time, Dnipro launched a counter-attack and Melaschenko found the top corner with an explosive right-foot shot, and after Steven Fletcher had a goal struck off for offside, Melaschenko helped himself to a second in stoppage time.