Liam Boyce playing through injury pain to help Hearts' relegation fight

Hearts striker Liam Boyce is determined to play through back pain to help the club.

It is not only emotional pain Liam Boyce is suffering, but physical too. Hearts’ worsening plight at the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership affects everyone connected with the club. Striker Boyce has the added discomfort of a back injury. He is determined to fight on, however.

The Edinburgh club require all the help available if they are to overhaul a four-point deficit and save their top-flight status during the season’s final eight matches. Boyce, a January signing from Burton Albion, knows this is no time for snowflakes.

A stiff back has been an ongoing problem for weeks. It has affected his movement and caused some pain at different times, yet he will not take the easy option and cry off through injury.

"My back has been a bit achy. It's just the way it is, I just need to get on with it,” he told the Evening News. “I will continue to play and give everything I have and do everything I can. It's not an excuse.

“I don't even think about it because, at this time of the season, everyone has wee knocks and niggles. You just need to get on with it. Towards the end of every season, you have tight muscles and people fight through that. You need to do everything you can to help your team.

"A couple of weeks ago, it was really tight after the Celtic game. It sort of went away a bit, it's just a wee niggly thing. I just have to keep fighting and doing the exercises to try and make it better. Hopefully I can be back to myself soon.”

The Northern Irishman will declare himself available for Sunday’s trip to Livingston after enduring the agony of Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat by St Mirren in Paisley. "It was a tough one to take, obviously,” he said.

“The first half was one of those scrappy games where everyone is fighting for everything in the middle of the park. Last week, we were fighting for every ball but in the first half St Mirren were winning more than us.

"We came out in the second half and pushed to get a goal. The onus was more on us to win the game to make things tighter in the table. Then, one clearance up the pitch and they get a chance and score. That's what they wanted.

"They just sat in and defended, making it hard for us to get chances. It wasn't a good game to watch. It was just players fighting for every ball, as you expect at the bottom of the table.”

Manager Daniel Stendel struggled to comprehend why his players could not match St Mirren’s appetite. "I don't think there wasn't enough fight, we were trying. Everyone was fighting for the ball, they just seemed to win more,” explained Boyce.

“When they got that chance, they took it and it changed the whole game. When you're at the bottom and you go 1-0 down, you are pushing people forward and trying to fight for a goal. It's a lot easier if you have something to hold on to. The first goal is massive in these games and, unfortunately, it didn't go our way on Wednesday.”

Hearts now have eight games to roll up the sleeves and get steamed in. Whatever commodities were missing in Paisley, they must be found before another competitive encounter in West Lothian. "We can't change Wednesday, we have to look forward” said Boyce.

“It's not over until it's over. We know we can't keep saying that, though. We know we have to start putting in performances. There have been games we have won and you think, 'that's us on our way.' It just hasn't happened. You need to turn up every game, give everything you have and try to put in your best performance. I don't think we did that on Wednesday.

“As I said, it's not over till it's over. The fans were still singing in the 90th minute, trying to help us score a goal. We have to use that. People are still believing. It's going to be tough but we need to keep believing in any way we can.”

The 28-year-old would have arrived in Edinburgh expecting that, by March, Hearts would have improved their league position. It hasn’t happened. False dawns have been a feature of the campaign as players have failed to win enough games against relegation rivals.

“When I came in and we beat Rangers, you think that's everything going to change. It isn't that easy. Everyone is fighting,” said Boyce.

“Before Wednesday, St Mirren would have seen a chance to get themselves into a safer position. That's just the way it is. You need to leave everything on the pitch and, if you do and you lose, then you hold your hands up. If you don't, it's tough to take. After the game we were absolutely gutted and it's still raw.”

There is no time to wallow in disappointment or self-pity. Livingston are probably an even more difficult opponent than St Mirren given their impressive home record. They have lost only two of 14 league games at the Tony Macaroni Arena this season.

“They're probably the best in the league at it. They will put up a good strong challenge and we know balls will be coming into our box,” said Boyce.

“Hopefully we can turn up, win more balls than them and put the ball in the net first. That would give us something to build on and it's crucial.”