Hibs have scoring failings in midfield - but Jake Doyle-Hayes' double was special for many reasons

One of Hibs’ biggest failings this season has been goals from central midfield.

Before last weekend, you had to go back to December 11 to find a game when a midfielder netted for Hibs, with young Josh Campbell scoring in a 1-1 draw at St Mirren.

Joe Newell also found the target in a 3-1 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Dundee United back in September, but the reality is that the men in the middle don’t trouble the scoresheet enough for a team with designs on finishing in the top four.

Therefore, it was extremely surprising to see Hibs midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes score not once, but twice in Saturday’s 2-0 cinch Premiership win over Ross County to move the Hibees back into the top six and in the boxseat for fourth place.

Jake Doyle-Hayes' team-mates rush to congratulate him after his second goal against Ross County.

Doyle-Hayes’ goals were pretty special, too. His first was a strike from outside the box that ought to be dealt with by County keeper Ross County, but no goalie on the planet was saving the Irishman’s second, a volley from 22 yards that was destined for the top corner as soon as it left his boot. They were his first strikes in green-and-white and made even more special by those present to witness them.

"I had my fiancee in the stand and 27 boys from Ireland,” Doyle-Hayes explained.

"They’re over for the weekend just to see the game, they had a bit of time off work so they came over. I’ll have to get them back next weekend now!

"I’m delighted to score but honestly, I’m more delighted to get the three points for the team.”

Doyle-Hayes opened the scoring with this strike against Ross County.

Doyle-Hayes knows that his goal return is unsatisfactory. “I know I need to shoot more,” he said. “After I scored the first the whole crowd is screaming, ‘shoot, shoot’ – they’re even screaming that when I’m at the half-way line.

"Every few days we work on them. The gaffer has us working on them after training. It’s very competitive, everybody wants to win in training and everybody’s trying their hardest. Luckily I pulled it off in a game and I’m delighted.”

The triumph over the Staggies was Hibs’ first in the league in 2022 and comes at an opportune moment given the congested nature of the division’s midriff. Hibs welcome Celtic to Easter Road, but then face the league’s bottom two teams in Dundee and St Johnstone before a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Motherwell. The stakes are high for Shaun Maloney’s team right now.

"Before the game we weren't sitting in a great place in the table and we all knew that,” the 23-year-old from Ballyjamesduff said. “We believe in what the gaffer wants us to do, we're taking everything on board. We know we have a talented squad so we know we can push on.

Doyle-Hayes' second goal was an exquisite strike on the volley.

“We believe in ourselves and we know we can pick up more points.”

Hibs are now nine points behind third-placed Hearts after their 2-1 defeat by St Johnstone, but Doyle-Hayes’ city rivals aren’t in his immediate sights.

"We’re not looking at any one team and thinking we need to catch them,” he added. “But we need to aim high and we know what it means to the fans. We’re going to keep pushing. We have to keep pushing."

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