Boyle calls out ill-discipline as Hibs drop points again
Departing Hibs hero Martin Boyle believes his team’s ‘unacceptable’ discipline has left them needing to win every one of their remaining four games if they’re to guarantee a crack at European football next season. And the stand-in skipper, who marked his final Edinburgh derby with a stunning opening goal, admits players will have to address the underlying issues behind Hibs picking up three red cards in their past two games.
Despite Boyle giving his team the perfect start in Sunday’s home clash with league leaders Hearts, red cards for Raphael Sallinger and Felix Passlack saw Hibs reduced to nine men. Derek McInnes’ side went onto win the game 2-1, although they were made to wait until four minutes from time to bag a wildly celebrated winner that put them three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Boyle, who firmly believes that the Jambos ‘deserve’ to be leading the pack with four rounds of SPFL fixtures remaining, said the double dismissal – in the 15th and 49th minutes respectively, and also coming off the back of Grant Hanley’s red card against Aberdeen in the previous match, a 2-0 loss at Pittodrie – cannot be swept aside, insisting: "The discipline in the last few weeks has been unacceptable, and it's cost us. The boys have to take responsibility.
“I thought the boys that remained on the pitch gave everything they could. The subs coming on and Smudge (substitute goalkeeper Jordan Smith) being out in the dark, he made a few saves. But like you say, the discipline isn't good enough.”
Asked if the recent rash of reds is something that players would talk about as a group when they return to the training ground today, Boyle said bluntly: "It's going to have to be because it let us down in two massive games where we needed results.
“It's so early in the game, we're having to do a lot more. It ultimately costs us.
“I'm sure the boys will take responsibility, but it gives an opportunity for someone else to come in and keep their jersey.
"I hope we can stick together and we'll get those boys back soon.”
Motherwell’s 3-2 victory at Ibrox, also on a bumper Scottish Premiership Sunday, saw the Steelmen move six points clear of Hibs.
Although a Scottish Cup win for Celtic in next month’s Hampden encounter with Dunfermline would see the team finishing fifth in Scotland’s top flight rewarded with a spot in the early rounds of UEFA Conference League qualifying, a shock victory for Neil Lennon’s Pars would restrict European places to the top four.
Hibs face Celtic at home this weekend before rounding off the final week of league action by playing Falkirk away, Rangers away and then – in either a Euro eliminator or a dead rubber – Motherwell at home on the closing weekend of SPFL action.
With the Lanarkshire side also boasting a superior goal difference, the odds are stacked against Hibs making up the difference on the team above them.
Boyle admitted: "It's extremely difficult now. Obviously, we had to get a result against Hearts. We're going to have to try and probably win the remaining games. It's obviously difficult. But like you say, they (Motherwell) did a good performance [against Rangers]. We're going to have to pick ourselves back up and go again next week. There's no easy games.”
Brushing aside any personal disappointment at losing in his final outing against Hearts, Boyle said: "It's more painful because we've got beaten. It's an Edinburgh derby. It doesn't really matter that it's my last derby. The club goes on; it's not about me. Personally, scoring a goal is a nice feeling, but losing the game ultimately, it's not ideal. Everyone can see what the club means to me. You've just got to take your hats off to them (Hearts). They're doing really well. They've been consistent through the whole season. They deserve everything they're getting at the moment.
“It could have been avoidable if the red cards didn't happen. We got off to a great start, but we're in this position because we haven't been consistent, we're letting in cheap goals.
"Yes, collectively we were together. You could see that. Everyone was
The discipline in the last few weeks has been unacceptable, and it's cost us. The boys have to take responsibility
putting their bodies on the line. It's obviously hard, down to nine men. They're going to get bodies forward. We can't pick up everyone, but defending crosses and saving shots was brilliant.
“A couple of goals could have been avoidable, but we tried our best. But like you say, we stuck together and I thought the boys did really well.”
Addressing the challenge presented by a Celtic side now sitting a point clear of Rangers in second place, Boyle said it would be wrong for anyone to write Hibs off, declaring: "Yes, we have to be confident that we can get results. "Like you say, we know how difficult the opponent is, reigning champions and they've picked up recently. We have to have the belief that we can go and win the game. I'm hoping we have a strong end to the season.”
In the immediate aftermath of the game, Hibs head coach David Gray tried to find the positives, saying: "The nine men that remained on the pitch gave absolutely everything. And didn't deserve that [result], if I'm being honest, because of how much they put into it. They defended their box incredibly. Players that haven't played a lot of minutes, [Jordan Smith] coming on and making big saves, which you need. And then, when you look at the goals we lose, which makes it even tougher to take, it's a deflection and an own goal.”