It’s possible that Christian Doidge was the only man in Station Park on Saturday who wasn’t worrying about additional time. Because the large Welshman was unaware that a draw would necessitate playing football for an additional half-hour.
Doidge sincerely thought the old Scottish Cup replay regulations were still in effect, and his goal little over 20 minutes from time saved everyone an additional half hour in the wet and cold. When asked if there was more time, he said, “I had no idea! On that bus, the boys will be in high spirits.
Doidge, who was named Man of the Match on Saturday after putting on a goal-line clearance and fierce line-leading display, is aware that Hibs looked lethargic after the winter break, at least in the first half of the game. However, he is confident that Hibs will soon reach peak performance as the work done during their training vacation to Dubai starts to bear fruit. Ideally in time for the Rangers’ visit on Wednesday night.
“Every boy is accustomed to competing in the Scottish Cup, or FA Cup if you were an English player,” he responded when asked about the mental shift required to move from Forfar to a sold-out game at Easter Road. “You must address it. It will be good to play another big game against the Rangers at home. For us, the league campaign is really significant. Now that we are in a particularly difficult run, it is critical that we get points.
“We put in a ton of work in Dubai. We classified it, I believe, as a small pre-season. Since the new manager took over, we also conducted a great deal of tactical work. Of course, spending a week in Dubai is very different from traveling to Forfar, but we won by playing like pros and leaving no stone unturned.
“We will undoubtedly reap Dubai’s rewards. We put forth a ton of work. We completed a great deal of tactical work and gained a lot of yards in the legs. I am excited to see what the future brings.
Doidge acknowledged that manager Nick Montgomery had displayed some vitriol during his Station Park halftime speech, adding, “He was angry, but we were angry with ourselves too.” There were a few expletives exchanged in the changing room, but that is a common occurrence when one is not performing well. Guys get to their feet. We were able to correct our mistakes since we knew what went wrong.
“In the second half of the game, we had total control. The first part dealt with something else. Everything was thrown at us. We had a lot of trouble because of the goalkeeper’s kick and the wind, but David Marshall came to our rescue several times, and we also made some excellent blocks. We arrived at halftime, played our football, and prevailed.
“I’ve participated in numerous games against teams who are a few tiers lower, and they always give it their all. Throughout my work, I’ve been in their position numerous times, and you want to make an impression. They performed incredibly effectively and were challenging to oppose.
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