Manchester United provided the opponents for the testimonial game and they contributed to an entertaining afternoon in the capital.
Man of the moment Gray scored the decisive goal midway through the second half to earn Hibs a narrow win.
Despite the lack of goals there was action aplenty with both teams hitting the post and Manchester United’s goalkeeper Paul Rachubka pulling off a string of impressive stops.
Most of the players on show may not be as nimble-footed as they once were however their footballing brains were as alert as ever and many showed touches of class throughout the 90 minutes.
There were plenty of familiar faces on show as Hibees past and present reunited to pay tribute to a club legend.
Brian McClair’s Manchester United contained a sprinkling of players to have played for both clubs and those that played alongside Gray during his time at Old Trafford.
Easter Road Stadium was bathed in sunshine ahead of kick-off as our Scottish Cup-winning captain emerged from the tunnel to a guard of honour from both teams.
The match started slowly as both sides eased their way – and their bodies – into the game before it burst into life when Fraser Fyvie’s dipping volley from the edge of the box, after a one-two with Scott Brown, almost opened the scoring in spectacular style.
At the other end Chris Eagles' shot from 16 yards was comfortably saved by Conrad Logan while Darren Fletcher rolled back the years and was spraying passes around in the middle of the park.
Hibs were enjoying the best of the action with Danny Swanson peeling off the left flank to test Rachubka in the Manchester United goal before Fyvie should have scored from James Keatings' lay off - only to miscue his finish.
The Hibs side was top heavy with midfielders and that made for interesting viewing as they consistently moved around and interchanged positions. That fluidity helped to create several opportunities.
On 19 minutes a wonderful drag back from Keatings allowed him to ease away from Eagles before his rising shot from distance stung the palms of Rachubka.
The Manchester United keeper was having a fine afternoon and would thwart Grant Holt from close range before diving full-stretch to beat away an angled drive from Keatings after he had nutmegged Phil Bardsley.
The competitive nature of players at the top level never leaves them and that was evident as both sides got stuck in despite the good nature of the contest.
As half-time loomed a Gray cross from the right found Liam Craig arriving late into the box and his angled drive was saved by Rachubka.
The visitors finished the half with a couple of chances as John Rankin fired over from 16 yards for United before Bardsley’s powerful shot from distance was held by Logan.
The second half, much like the first, started slowly before bursting into life with a flurry of goalmouth activity.
On 55 minutes, a fantastic switch of play from Scott Brown found the run of Gray, his knock down was crossed by Swanson for Fyvie to glance a header just wide of the far post.
Craig and Swanson were then replaced by Nick Montgomery and Brian McLean as Hibs looked to add fresh legs to proceedings.
On the hour mark Keatings attempted an audacious effort from almost the halfway line as he lobbed Rachubka only for his effort to drift just wide of goal.
Manchester United almost scored on the counterattack when a ball in behind saw Bardsley race through on goal, he knocked it past the stranded Logan and off the far post.
The deadlock was broken on 67 minutes when man of the moment Gray slid in to covert from a Fyvie cross ahead of Alex Bruce.
It could have been 2-0 only moments later when Fyvie played the ball down the right for Scott Brown to run onto, he looked up and squared it to Holt who tried to find the top corner only to shoot wide.
Hibs then hit the post when Holt dummied a cross into the path of Gray, he slipped it to Whittaker and the midfielder beat Rachubka with an angled shot that struck the woodwork.
On 84 minutes the match paused for a moment to remember Cathy Ferguson, the wife of Sir Alex, who passed away recently.
With three minutes remaining Hibs boss, Montgomery, played a defence splitting pass for Keatings to run onto with Rachubka denying him with another fine save.
In the final moments of the match, Rachubka pulled off two more impressive saves, firstly to beat away a fantastic free-kick from Fyvie before throwing himself down to keep out a close-range header from Whittaker.
A wonderful afternoon in recognition of a fantastic servant to Hibernian Football Club with supporters and team-mates alike showing their appreciation for the great man at the end of the game.
Hibernian XI: Logan, Gray, Whittaker, Craig, Bartley, S Brown, Fyvie, Holt, Swanson, Keatings, McGregor. Substitutes: Montgomery, McLean.
Manchester United XI: Rachubka, Bruce, W Brown, Galbraith, Simpson, Rankin, Fletcher, Bardsley, Gibson, Eagles, Eckersley. Substitutes: Johnson, Thornley, McClair.
Referee: Kevin Clancy.
