Second coming of Boyle a delight for Hibs
AFTER a year of hell, two knee operations and the loneliness of recovery and rehab, this was a moment for Martin Boyle to milk for all it was worth.
Making just his second start since returning from his second bout of surgery and with two goals to his name, three sides of Easter Road rose to applaud his performance when the substitutes’ board went up to signal his departure from the field of play to make way for Adam Jackson 14 minutes from the end.
Boyle has had an awful time. First injured last December when on international duty with Australia, he came back in pre-season and played just three games in the Betfred Cup before going down with a recurrence of the same problem in an away win at Elgin City.
Back in contention since October, this resounding win over Aberdeen was just his second start. There will surely be more to come with a mouthwatering run against Celtic, Rangers and Hearts up next.
The positivity of Boyle’s body language as he came off the field was understandable. That happy glow from exertion — and exhaustion — almost as radiant as the famous sunshine of Leith.
‘I was just trying to catch my breath first before I went off,’ laughed Boyle afterwards. ‘I had blown an absolute gasket.
‘It was unbelievable, though. I’ve been out for near enough a year and moments like that stay with you for a long time. I have put in the hard work, did my rehab every day and, even now, I still do rehab even though I am back playing.
‘I have more to come. I got a bit fatigued at the end and it was probably the right thing for me to come off instead of chasing the hat-trick. We’ll go to Celtic Park next week with no fear.’
Manager Jack Ross, now with three wins from five games at Easter Road, brought Stevie Mallan into his starting line-up in place of Vykintas Slivka following the 2-1 midweek loss at Ross County. The midfielder was involved after just a matter of minutes, forcing a fine low save from Joe Lewis at the near post after moving on to a fluffed clearance from Scott McKenna in central defence.
The other big decision made by the Hibs boss was to ditch goalkeeper Chris Maxwell and bring in Ofir Marciano. Shortly afterwards, the Israel international was called into play when turning an angled Sam Cosgrove shot round the post and made an excellent double save just after the half hour.
A long clearance from Shay Logan was met on the run by James Wilson, his clever little nod taking the ball past Paul Hanlon and giving him space to race up the right.
With no one in support, the former Manchester United man had a go from out wide and forced a fine two-handed stop from Marciano.
Cosgrove moved on to the rebound inside the area and produced a decent attempt, but the keeper recovered quickly from his earlier efforts and got his body in the way to keep the game goalless.
‘It was a big moment,’ said Ross. ‘I see every day that he is a good shotstopper and I’ve been impressed with him in training.’
Hibs had seen a claim for a penalty rejected midway through the first half when Ryan Porteous went down in the area after Mallan had delivered a corner, but their next big chance would not arrive until seven minutes after the interval. When it did come, though, it was converted in style.
The architect was Scott Allan in midfield. He picked up the ball inside Aberdeen territory and moved into space, head up, looking for runners. Boyle duly obliged. He set off on the right flank, Allan played the most wonderful slide-rule pass and the Dons defence, flatfooted and slow to react, must have been the only people in the ground who couldn’t see what was coming.
Boyle got in ahead of the onrushing Lewis, dinked it over him and had the easy job of then slipping it into the empty net.
Eager to change the flow of the game, Dons boss Derek McInnes brought on three substitutes on 63 minutes — Ryan Hedges, later booked for simulation in the area, Curtis Main and Dean Campbell replacing Wilson, Zak Vyner and Logan — to shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Jon Gallagher pushing up from attacking midfield.
Within six minutes, though, they had been caught on the break thanks to some splendid Hibs attacking and some more questionable defending.
With play having been broken up from a Dons attack, the ball made its way to Florian Kamberi on the left touchline, just inside the home half. Showing great awareness, he played a long diagonal pass along the turf towards Boyle and the wide man showed good pace again to get on to it and move towards the right-hand side of the area.
Andrew Considine looked as if he had the opportunity to put in a blocking tackle, but he stayed on his feet, Boyle
held him off and, although his effort was hardly crisp in its execution, the Hibs man sent a low effort back across Lewis and into the keeper’s right-hand corner.
From that point on, Aberdeen’s defending just got progressively worse. With 16 minutes to play, Kamberi picked the ball up on the left again, skipped through Campbell and Ash Taylor as if they didn’t exist, dodged McKenna and beat Lewis at the near post with a low shot to make it three.
‘We’re very much a front-foot team, but it’s just getting the balance right,’ insisted Ross afterwards.
‘I’ve been pleased with the performance levels.’