Hibs players to help pick Christian Doidge up after Aberdeen horror show

Christian Doidge is denied by Joe Lewis as Hibs ended up drawing 1-1 with Aberdeen. Pic: SNS

Ahead thanks to Ryan Porteous’ 48th-minute strike, the £350,000 summer signing from Forest Green Rovers remains without a league goal to his name, his only strikes so far having come against Alloa and Morton in the Betfred Cup.

Incredibly, though, the Welshman could have had a hat-trick in 20 second-half minutes, through on Joe Lewis three times but on each occasion the Aberdeen goalkeeper got the better of him. The Capital side were made to pay when Sam Cosgrove – who Hibs argued should have been sent off earlier after scything down Lewis Stevenson having been booked in the first half – headed home the equaliser four minutes from time.

On his final attempt, Doidge had team-mate Scott Allan in acres of space and screaming for what would have been a tap-in, but – claimed head coach Paul Heckingbottom – he “had the blinkers on”, such was his determination to score.

An afternoon of misery for Doidge, who had also seen Lewis block his shot after only four minutes, was brought to an end when he was replaced by Flo Kamberi for the final 12 minutes, the player’s disappointment clear as he trudged off.

Mallan admitted Doidge was well aware he could have killed the game against an Aberdeen side which was eventually reduced to nine men after Curtis Main and Lewis Ferguson were shown straight red cards for lunges at the midfielder.

He said: “To be fair, the big man was gutted. He knows the situation, but it’s not the time for the boys to be pointing fingers and getting on at him.

“We need to help him pick his head up. He’s the kind of boy who beats himself up anyway.

“It’s up to us to pick him up. If he scores, we’re home and dry. Nobody has to tell him that – he knows. I’m pretty sure he’ll bounce back from it.”