Last updated on .From the section Europa League

Highly-rated Erling Braut Haland (left) gave Molde the lead and added another late on

Hibernian's hopes of reaching the Europa League group stage ended with a dismal defeat by Molde in the third qualifying round.

After a goalless first leg, Hibs had ambitions of making the play-off round.

But Erling Braut Haland nodded Molde ahead in Norway, and doubled his tally late on to confirm the win. In between, Fredrik Aursnes tapped in a second.

Martin Boyle lofted an effort over and Jamie Maclaren headed Hibs' best chance against a post.

It was a frustrating end to a hitherto encouraging European campaign for Hibs, who host Ross County in the League Cup second round on Sunday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Molde, meanwhile, move on to a play-off round tie with Zenit St Petersburg, who progressed after a remarkable 8-5 aggregate win over Dinamo Minsk.

Zenit, who lost the first leg 4-0, took the tie to extra-time, but the Belarusians looked like progressing after pulling one back until Russia's Zenit scored four times in the final 11 minutes.

European history eludes Hibs

Hibs were Britain's maiden representatives in European competition, reaching the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1955 - when three ties took you into the final - and the old Fairs Cup in the 1960s.

But the Leith outfit have still never won three successive ties in a single season.

Despite failing to score at Easter Road, they travelled in confident mood after aggregate wins over Runavik and Asteras Tripolis in the two previous rounds, and after scoring 20 goals in six games this term.

Neil Lennon opted for an attacking line-up, with Maclaren - brought in to partner Florian Kamberi up front - heading an early chance over and Paul Hanlon almost getting on the end of a clever Boyle ball.

Stevie Mallan, with five goals to his name already this season, twice brought Molde goalkeeper Andreas Linde into action with efforts from outside the box.

But Molde had already provided a couple of early scares for the Hibs defence and the visitors conceded a soft opener in the 35th minute.

Ruben Gabrielsen lost his markers from a deep free-kick to head across goal, where Haland had the simple task of nodding home at the far post.

Hibs, who lost Marvin Bartley to a hamstring injury, were forced to scramble to avoid conceding a second before the break, blocking Pawel Cibicki's shot before Kristoffer Haugen was denied at the back post.

Mallan continued to look Hibs' best source of inspiration and his lofted ball on the hour put Boyle into space. But the winger found himself in two minds and his volleyed effort drifted out for a goal-kick.

The visitors' hopes receded in the 66th minute when Molde doubled their lead, and again it was not pretty from Hibs' perspective.

Eirik Hestad galloped into the box from near the halfway line and Haland was able to out-muscle his marker to prod the ball into the path of Aursnes for an easy tap-in.

Nine minutes from time it was all over as a deflected effort fell to Haland, and the 18-year-old - subject of a 9m euros (£8.05m) offer from Austrian side Salzburg - made no mistake from close range.

'Lennon will be asking questions' - analysis

BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin in Molde

Lennon will no doubt seek answers about why Hestad was allowed to travel almost 50 yards with the ball without a sniff of a challenge for the killer second goal. And also how a simple deep cross to the back post was allowed to be knocked back across the box for Haland to knock home for the opener.

The Hibs head coach will also quiz his front men, with both Boyle and Maclaren missing golden opportunities that would have put Hibernian in the driving seat in the tie.

Overall, this European campaign has had many more positives than negatives but Hibs more than met their match in Molde. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has assembled a team that can make waves in the Europa League and in striker Haland has a teenager who looks set for a long and glittering career .

The task now for Hibs is to learn from this experience and ensure they back this campaign up with another strong season domestically. Then, maybe in 12 months time, they can learn from the mistakes made.