Boyle tells Doig don’t fret over Frimpong lesson
MARTIN Boyle’s years of experience in club and international football weren’t much help when he found himself up against Jeremie Frimpong in a Premiership match at Parkhead last December.
The Hibernian winger was helpless to prevent the Celtic full- back from running riot and scoring the opening goal as Neil Lennon’s side ran out comfortable 2- 0 winners.
So he felt for his Easter Road team- mate Josh Doig, who only broke through into Jack Ross’s side last month, when he was charged with containing Frimpong on Sunday.
The 18- year- old left- back struggled and was replaced by Lewis Stevenson at half- time with the visitors trailing 2- 0.
But Australian cap Boyle appreciates how difficult facing the lightning- fast and skilful Dutch kid can be from bitter personal experience and he was quick to offer words of encouragement to the youngster afterwards.
“I put my arm around him at half- time and said: ‘ Look, I played against him last year, I know what he’s like when he’s on his game’,” he said. “He hurt us on Sunday and we need to find a way to stop him more than ever ahead of next time.
“I went to Parkhead last season and played up and against him and was very good. He is such a good athlete and good on the ball, I am sure he will only get better. Celtic are lucky to have him.”
Boyle has been encouraged by how Scotland Under- 18 player Doig, who spent last season on loan at Queen’s Park in League 2, has coped with the step up to the top flight.
He knows that the defender will suffer a few difficult afternoons and evenings playing at such a high level, but fully expects him develop and mature as a result.
“It is a learning curve for Josh playing up against elite players,” he said. “He will learn from it. He will watch the game back and take it on the chin. He will improve as well. Maybe it is what he needs.”
Boyle has no doubts that Hibs, who suffered only their second Premiership loss on Sunday, will bounce back from the Celtic defeat quickly and is looking forward to their league meeting with Hamilton at Easter Road on Friday night.
“It won’t define our season,” he said. “We have got off to a good start. Hopefully we can pick ourselves up on Friday. There’s a game in four days which is good for us. We will watch the game back and see what we can do better and how we can improve defensively, take it on the chin and move on.”
Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet both spurned scoring opportunities in the first half at Celtic Park and Boyle feels Hibs, who drew 2- 2 with Rangers at home seven days earlier, have to be more clinical in the final third to take points off the Glasgow clubs in future.
“It was disappointing, the chances we had and passed up,” he said. “We got punished for it. We came out in the second- half still believing we had a chance and believing we could create more, but they just upped it to another level and pushed and we got punished on the counter.
“I thought we were fantastic the week before. We rode the wave at times. But at the weekend we were a bit unfortunate, we got outplayed at times. I mean it is a hard place to come. There will not be many teams who will take points from there.”
Meanwhile, St Mirren have rebuffed Hibernian’s offer for midfielder Kyle Magennis. The 22- yearold, who is set to return from a longterm knee injury early next month, played under Hibs boss Jack Ross earlier in his Saints career.