Hibs ace reveals dressing room 'hurt' over Hearts loss - and addresses 'game changing' missed chance
First loss to local rivals since December 2003 is ‘hard to take’ for David Gray’s men
Hibs defender Warren O’Hora admitted that the visitors were left dumbstruck by the late Hearts goal at Tynecastle last night. And he admitted that the “hurt” of a first derby loss in almost two years would last a long time.
The Irishman, speaking after Craig Halkett’s injury time strike snapped a four-game Hearts winless streak in the capital clash, also said no-one in the Hibs squad would be blaming skipper Martin Boyle for hitting the crossbar with the game still goalless.
“I don't think words can express how hard that dressing room was taking it,” said O’Hora. “Very, very hard to take.
“I think the game had a nil-nil all over it. Didn't think it was a great game probably to watch. Very cagey moments. Probably expected with a derby. And look, to lose in in the dying minutes is as you would expect is very ,very hard to take.
“It's frustrating and anger for all of us. Look, derbies can be so emotional. That's the reason we play this game, to play in games like this and win them. But to have this feeling on the either side of it is horrible.”
Hibs have now lost late goals in four big games this season, O’Hora admitting: “Yes, of of course, it's something we need to address and there's no doubt we will. We've got some time now into the international break, which will give us some time to reflect on how we can be better at that.
“Look, football's a cruel sport. At the end of the day, the league table is what we all look at.
“It doesn't matter if you play well or not. It's the points that really count. Maybe sometimes you get the rub of the green, sometimes you don’t.
“Hopefully, we'll just keep trying to improve, keep trying to be better. And that's what we'll do.
“The staff and the gaffer have been brilliant with us. And I'm sure they'll pick us back up and get us right where we need to be for the next league game.
Long international break will be tough
“It's going to be a long international break, of course. Obviously, boys will go away and do their stuff with their nations.
“No doubt, it's going to be a long week. The good thing about football is you always want to get back to it. When you have a week where you don't, you dwell on it.
“You reflect, but that's why we have an amazing staff that can put us right and get us focused on what's next. That's the most important thing now, is how do we get better and what's next.”
Boyle chance a ‘game changing moment’
Addressing the chance spurned by Boyle, O’Hora admitted: “I haven't seen it back, as you can probably imagine. There's not many words going on in the dressing room in terms of chances that we missed.
“It's very, very raw at the moment, but obviously I think it hits the bar. It's hard to take.
“Obviously, when the game ends, it's horrible. So you will obviously look back at that and think that could’ve been a game changing moment for us. But look, that happens in football.
“He’s been a great servant for this club. Boyley’s been brilliant since I've come to the club.
“So it's not all doom and gloom for Boyley for missing a chance. It's not all on one person. We're a team. It was all in this together.
“There's other things that I could’ve done better in the game. There's no doubt we'll pick ourselves back up.
“Ultimately, losing hurts - and it still is hurting. It probably will for a while. I think it's normal. I think we'll reflect on it.
“We'll probably try and take the emotion out of it and see where we can be better, which will be tough, especially in a derby. We went through a lot worse last season, but that's gone now. We'll stick together and try and improve and be better.”