Martin Boyle tries to push his luck: Why Hibs goalscorer begged boss Lee Johnson for more time as Leith side secured their next Euro tie

Desperate to bag a hat-trick after more than nine months on the sidelines Hibs forward Martin Boyle begged his manager to leave him on against Inter Club d’Escaldes last night.

But after 55 minutes, and with the tie all but won thanks to Boyle’s two early contributions, Lee Johnson listened to his head rather than his heart and opted to protect a number of starters, including the influential Socceroo.

“I played 45 minutes [in the friendly against Blackpool] at the weekend and it was a good run out. And, it was supposed to be 45 again but I had a word with the gaffer trying to push for that hat-trick! It was nice to get minutes and the victory was the most important thing.”

Johnson has admitted it has been difficult reining in his own temptation and Boyle’s desire to get him back on the pitch but with the player returning from anterior cruciate ligament surgery, they both had to consider the bigger picture and resist the urge to rush his reintroduction.

Hibs' Martin Boyle takes the ball past Inter Club d'Escaldes goalkeeper Adria Munoz to open the scoring in the second leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier at Easter Road. Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group

“It was needs must in one sense but he was also ready and passed all the physical markers on Tuesday,” said the Hibs gaffer. “He has worked extremely hard and deserved the minutes. He’s been champing at the bit to get on earlier and we are very proud of him for how hard he’s worked. He’ll be happy tonight and will sleep well I’m sure.”

“I believe in him and I believed he would [make an impact]. I’ve been a bit frustrated and I went against medical guidance a little last weekend to play him at Blackpool with this game in mind. I had to question whether it was desperation to put him in but it was more about the balance of the team and what we need and require to be as elite as we were.”

“Obviously, I had to do the tests on Tuesday and got a thumbs up, which was good,” said the winger, talking about finally getting the green light from the physios and medical staff to launch himself headlong into competitive action. It was just the jumping I had to work on and I scored a header tonight so the sports science guys will be buzzing. I’ve been working hard in the gym doing extra sessions and it has paid off. It’s about matches and minutes now. If I keep performing like this and getting goals then happy days.”

Thoughts of a hat-trick did enter his mind as soon as he netted his second goal in the 21st minute, with the 30-year-old stating he could not have imagined such a positive start.

“It was perfect. To be fair, the manager should have taken me off after that! But no, the result and qualification [for the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League] was the most important, obviously. I'm still trying to get up to tip-top speed but it was the perfect start for me.”

Josh Campbell also grabbed two goals, while Christian Doidge and Elie Youan added one each to bolster the tally further and boost the squad confidence ahead of their Premiership opener against St Mirren at Easter Road on Sunday and the first leg of their next Euro tie, at home to FC Luzern.