Kieron Bowie was a big-money purchase by Hibs at the start of the season. They might not have spent anything yet in this month’s window, but that’s a £600,000 boost that hasn’t cost a mid-season penny.
And, with Martin Boyle back and firing at his best levels, Hibs have gone from being blunt to having two big-hitters spearheading their attack. Bowie has got all the tools. It must have been a massive frustration to manager David Gray that he ended up sidelined for such a lengthy period having made such a sharp start to his career at Easter Road.
It was seen as a strong signing at the time when he was signed from Fulham. There had been glowing reports from his work with Scotland’s Under-21 side and there was enough evidence in his opening four games to suggest Hibs had found a right good one. Then, typical of the way things were going in the opening weeks of the campaign for Gray and his squad, Bowie was slammed on to the sidelines with a serious hamstring issue.
The timing could not have been any worse and, with Boyle not at his best, it was hard to see where goals were coming from. No harm intended to Mykola Kuharevich, but he was not the answer and, although Nicky Cadden was doing a fair job chipping in to help, Hibs needed more.
No question, there was a spell through October and November where you simply couldn’t see in some games where one was coming from. With the defence giving goals away for fun, it was a recipe for disaster and so it proved.
That’s the thing about defending. If the boys up top aren’t getting goals, it puts pressure on the backline to keep it tight. When you know the lads are going to score, I’m sure it makes the stoppers a little more at ease in their work.
From having limited options, Hibs could now have two real star-turns in the ranks in Bowie and Boyle. I spoke in last week’s column about the resurgence of Boyle, and another couple of goals at the weekend against Clydebank in the Scottish Cup just showed how valuable he can be. Every game at that stage of the competition is tricky and can cause a potential problem.
Just want to say, fair play to the Bankies. They were dogged, had an amazing support at Easter Road and I’d like to see them back in the SPFL soon as a real asset to our game.
But Boyle scoring inside a couple of minutes took away any notions of a shock, not that there would have been much given the outstanding run that the team is on. The sight of Bowie making his way on to the park was another massive boost and I am genuinely excited about him.
Like I said, there was plenty to be encouraged about in those first appearances. He moved Cameron Carter-Vickers around on his debut off the bench against Celtic and threatened a goal.
After another sub outing against the champions in Glasgow in the Premier Sports Cup, it was a goal next time against Dundee before the nightmare occurred. Fair play to Gray for being patient. There must have been a temptation to try and rush Bowie back, especially when results were not going well and he was under pressure.
It could be that Bowie couldn’t have got back any quicker, but I do remember Gray saying he was going to give the kid as much time as he needed to properly recover and that says a lot about him. That is the type of approach that makes players want to play for a manager – to know he is putting you first and not sacrificing you for the sake of himself.
In that regard, I hope Gray gets every reward for that patience and understanding, and seeing Bowie back on the park offered a huge lift. In any case, Hibs are a threat again. Nine goals in their last three matches – and they were scoring before that, too.
From being dull and uninspiring, the fans can see chances being created, and the ball hitting the back of the net and it gives everyone a lift. Bowie, if he maintains the signs which he saw when he first went into the side, is only going to add to that.
We all know the squad-size issues and the difficulty for Hibs to add to the squad in this window until bodies leave. But, without putting a hand in their pocket, Bowie’s a big-money investment which may now pay dividends.
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