Larne boss Nathan Rooney admits that there's one club he's hoping to avoid in European draw
Rooney left the side from Gibraltar back in November to take up the reins at Inver Park before it transpired issues with his Pro Licence meant he had to step aside for the second-half of the campaign.
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Belfast Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Mark Randall is excited to be part of a new era at Larne under manager Nathan Rooney
Midfield maestro Mark Randall has hailed new Larne boss Nathan Rooney as 'a breath of fresh air' as they prepare for the Sports Direct Premiership campaign ahead.
Scotsman
8 hours ago
- Scotsman
Inside Hibs' big night in Belgrade: Vodka bottles, Martin Boyle's knee and the Sliding Doors man
Hibs goal hero looks back on historic night in Serbia Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In the wild few seconds after he'd bagged his 100th goal for Hibs, Martin Boyle wheeled away in celebration. And then wondered if he was going to end up nursing a concussion as bottles rained down from the Gravediggers end at the Partizan Stadion. Even before the second half of last night's uproarious European triumph in Belgrade kicked off, then, the visiting skipper wanted to clarify something with Maltese referee Philip Farrugia. If he should just happen to score again, Boyle asked, would it be OK to go and celebrate with the Hibs fans in the far corner? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You want your strikers to be confident. And, even as he nursed a heavily strapped left knee guaranteed to cause him some discomfort on the flight back to Edinburgh, Boyle had every right to feel as if he could make the journey in a single bound; he might as well have been wearing Superman's famous S under his yellow away shirt. Martin Boyle celebrates scoring Hibs' opener against Partizan. | AP Boyle, full of pride in how Hibs stood up to an intimidating atmosphere, followed up that back-post finish – more on that later – with a second-half penalty that carried David Gray's team a long way towards the UEFA Conference League play-offs. Pending events in Edinburgh next Thursday night, of course. And the experienced Socceroos international, a man who has become such a big part of the Hibernian story in this 150th anniversary season, revealed just how crazy things had felt out on the field. Asked about the moment when he could lead the entire Hibs team over to celebrate his second goal, a well-taken penalty won by the presence of Kieron Bowie, Boyle said: 'It was better than the first one when I was getting vodka bottles off my head! But like you say, it was brilliant. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The big Hibs celebration question 'I asked the ref at half-time if I could go over and celebrate in front of our fans, if I scored, after he told me not to celebrate in front of the home fans. So I already knew in my head that there could be another goal for me here. 'It's all down to big Kieron causing havoc in the box. That decision comes so there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to take it. Yeah, lovely feeling. 'It's great to celebrate with the fans. They can have that memory, hopefully something that lives with them for a long time. But that will mean us finishing the job off next week Hibs head coach David Gray gives instructions from the sidelines. | AP 'Told you the 100th goal was coming! Yeah, incredible feeling. The atmosphere was brilliant. It was a joy to play in front of that. It was intimidating. But the boys never cracked, never crumbled. It was a professional performance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Defensively, a great display. A clean sheet away from home. Everything you ask for. And obviously, the red card comes from Rocky putting his body on the line, which is perfect. You can see how he's matured as a defender. He's a real leader for us. 'Big Rocky does love a Sliding Doors moment, as you say. He really does. But that's because he's just so tenacious. He puts his body on the line. Exactly what he did against Partizan. So yeah, we're very lucky to have him. 'A joy to play with' 'And then it's big dum-dum (Bowie) running through people at the other end who wins the free-kick! Kieron is such a threat up front, a really big boy for his age. He's a joy to play with. He'll only get better. He'll score a lot of goals for us. I'm sure he's got a terrific career ahead of him.' Explaining the planning that had gone into the opening goal, a back-post finish from a corner, Boyle said: 'It happened so quick. Obviously, flicked off Warren's head. But I've been telling them to put me at the back post because for corners - because I reckon there's 10 goals a season there! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've worked a lot on set pieces through the week. We know we're an attacking threat and we know defensively that we're really good. Thankfully, it paid off tonight and I was lucky to tap it in.' Rocky Bushiri's maturity has been hailed at Hibs. | AP If anyone can add perspective to the achievement – still only halfway completed, admittedly – pulled off by Gray's men, it's Boyle. A player who has been around for some pretty decent European adventures. Recalling a famous aggregate win over Asteras Tripolis back in 2018, he said: 'Yeah, it's fantastic for the club. Like you say, I've experienced it before, John McGinn scoring that goal in Greece. But this was a perfect night. 'Credit to the manager and the way he wants us to play. We were brave tonight, and we executed the game plan perfectly. We stayed composed. We kept our heads at the right time and obviously, we took advantage of that. We maybe got a bit sloppy in the second half. We could have done better. But like you say, it's historic for the club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It can be quite intimidating' 'Delighted for the fans that travelled. Hopefully, a safe journey back home and we can see them next week. But yeah, all round brilliant night. 'As a player it's just amazing to play in front of that sort of crowd. I mean, playing at an international level you get the feeling of that. Playing at Tynecastle, Ibrox. It's intimidating. I've played Jordan away with Australia. So I knew exactly what to expect. It can be quite intimidating. 'But there's a lot of people in the squad that haven't experienced that. And that's a great experience for them. Everyone rose to the occasion. It's perfect. It's the crowd you want to play in front of. Intimidating. It can only give you that buzz and keep you going.' Boyle, who has backed Grant Hanley to bring even more experience and leadership to Hibs following the Scotland defender's decision to sign a two-year contract despite having offers elsewhere, looked in a bit of discomfort as his left leg was bandaged from upper shin to lower thigh. Given his injury history with that knee, a little concern is only natural. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 32-year-old, who went down in some distress after turning sharply on a slightly sticky pitch, said: 'The knee's alright. I had a bit of a scare. Slipped and hyperextended it. So hopefully it settles down well. I've got no time to dwell on it. We've got a game in a few days. 'Yeah, I think that is your first thought (to worry). And then I knew when it was alright. I was just telling them to waste time a little bit. So yeah. Like you say, it's always a bit of a scare. These things can happen in a game. Touch wood it doesn't happen again. And I'll be alright.
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Scotsman
Flying bottles and pre-planned celebrations part of Boyle's brilliant European night
Watch fans react to moment Boyle scores his second goal in 2-0 away win over Partizan Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In the wild few seconds after he'd bagged his 100th goal for Hibs, Martin Boyle wheeled away in celebration. And then wondered if he was going to end up nursing a concussion as bottles rained down from the Gravediggers end at the Partizan Stadion. Even before the second half of last night's uproarious European triumph in Belgrade kicked off, then, the visiting skipper wanted to clarify something with Maltese referee Philip Farrugia. If he should just happen to score again, Boyle asked, would it be OK to go and celebrate with the Hibs fans in the far corner? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad You want your strikers to be confident. And, even as he nursed a heavily strapped left knee guaranteed to cause him some discomfort on the flight back to Edinburgh, Boyle had every right to feel as if he could make the journey in a single bound; he might as well have been wearing Superman's famous S under his yellow away shirt. Boyle, full of pride in how Hibs stood up to an intimidating atmosphere, followed up that back-post finish – more on that later – with a second-half penalty that carried David Gray's team a long way towards the UEFA Conference League play-offs. Pending events in Edinburgh next Thursday night, of course. And the experienced Socceroos international, a man who has become such a big part of the Hibernian story in this 150th anniversary season, revealed just how crazy things had felt out on the field. Asked about the moment when he could lead the entire Hibs team over to celebrate his second goal, a well-taken penalty won by the presence of Kieron Bowie, Boyle said: 'It was better than the first one when I was getting vodka bottles off my head! But like you say, it was brilliant. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I asked the ref at half-time if I could go over and celebrate in front of our fans, if I scored, after he told me not to celebrate in front of the home fans. So I already knew in my head that there could be another goal for me here. 'It's all down to big Kieron causing havoc in the box. That decision comes so there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to take it. Yeah, lovely feeling. 'It's great to celebrate with the fans. They can have that memory, hopefully something that lives with them for a long time. But that will mean us finishing the job off next week 'Told you the 100th goal was coming! Yeah, incredible feeling. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The atmosphere was brilliant. It was a joy to play in front of that. 'The boys didn't crack or crumble in intimidating environment' 'It was intimidating. But the boys never cracked, never crumbled. It was a professional performance. 'Defensively, a great display. A clean sheet away from home. Everything you ask for. 'And obviously, the red card comes from Rocky putting his body on the line, which is perfect. You can see how he's matured as a defender. He's a real leader for us. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Big Rocky does love a Sliding Doors moment, as you say. He really does. 'But that's because he's just so tenacious. He puts his body on the line. Exactly what he did against Partizan. So yeah, we're very lucky to have him. Post-match victory celebrations caught on camera 'And then it's big dum-dum (Bowie) running through people at the other end who wins the free-kick! Kieron is such a threat up front, a really big boy for his age. 'He's a joy to play with. He'll only get better. He'll score a lot of goals for us. I'm sure he's got a terrific career ahead of him.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Explaining the planning that had gone into the opening goal, a back-post finish from a corner, Boyle said: 'It happened so quick. Obviously, flicked off Warren's head. 'But I've been telling them to put me at the back post because for corners - because I reckon there's 10 goals a season there! 'We've worked a lot on set pieces through the week. We know we're an attacking threat and we know defensively that we're really good. Thankfully, it paid off tonight and I was lucky to tap it in.' A moment up there with Scotland ace John McGinn's goal in Greece If anyone can add perspective to the achievement – still only halfway completed, admittedly – pulled off by Gray's men, it's Boyle. A player who has been around for some pretty decent European adventures. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Recalling a famous aggregate win over Asteras Tripolis back in 2018, he said: 'Yeah, it's fantastic for the club. Like you say, I've experienced it before, John McGinn scoring that goal in Greece. But this was a perfect night. 'Credit to the manager and the way he wants us to play. We were brave tonight, and we executed the game plan perfectly. 'We stayed composed. We kept our heads at the right time and obviously, we took advantage of that. 'We maybe got a bit sloppy in the second half. We could have done better. But like you say, it's historic for the club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Delighted for the fans that travelled. Hopefully, a safe journey back home and we can see them next week. But yeah, all round brilliant night. 'As a player it's just amazing to play in front of that sort of crowd. I mean, playing at an international level you get the feeling of that. Playing at Tynecastle, Ibrox. It's intimidating. 'I've played Jordan away with Australia. So I knew exactly what to expect. It can be quite intimidating. 'But there's a lot of people in the squad that haven't experienced that. And that's a great experience for them. Everyone rose to the occasion. It's perfect. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's the crowd you want to play in front of. Intimidating. It can only give you that buzz and keep you going.' Boyle, who has backed Grant Hanley to bring even more experience and leadership to Hibs following the Scotland defender's decision to sign a two-year contract despite having offers elsewhere, looked in a bit of discomfort as his left leg was bandaged from upper shin to lower thigh. Given his injury history with that knee, a little concern is only natural. The 32-year-old, who went down in some distress after turning sharply on a slightly sticky pitch, said: 'The knee's alright. I had a bit of a scare. Slipped and hyperextended it. So hopefully it settles down well. 'I've got no time to dwell on it. We've got a game in a few days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Yeah, I think that is your first thought (to worry). And then I knew when it was alright. 'I was just telling them to waste time a little bit. So yeah. Like you say, it's always a bit of a scare. 'These things can happen in a game. Touch wood it doesn't happen again. And I'll be alright. 'But it's just precautionary at the moment. So yeah, I'm ready to go again. I'm ready to hopefully score more goals.'
