Byrne chalked up a valuable football lesson at Hibs

AS a striker, Kurtis Byrne loves nothing more than seeing the ball hit the back of the net.

It was his goals, after all, which helped the Hibs under-19 side clinch a historic League and Cup double.

But, as he helped John Hughes' side claim second spot in the SPL table with a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen, the 19-year-old learned a valuable lesson as he turned provider rather than goal-scorer.

As the minutes ticked away, the Easter Road crowd became increasingly restless as they watched their heroes toil to break down a Dons side which had been reduced to ten and then nine men. Byrne found himself caught up in that anxious push for a goal, his instincts leading him to drift in from the right wing berth he'd been asked to occupy after replacing Merouane Zemmama and into a penalty area already inhabited by fellow hitmen Colin Nish, Anthony Stokes and Derek Riordan.

Boss Hughes, however, was aware the congestion caused by too many green shirts vying for a goal was doing almost as much harm as good, Byrne ordered back out to the touchline from which he delivered the cross for Nish to nod home the opener with only two minutes remaining on the clock.

Byrne said: "I was running into the box too much, because, like the others, I was desperate for us to get a goal but we ended up crowding each other out.

"I was told to stay on the chalk and try to get the ball into the area. It worked brilliantly, Colin is a big presence in there and he got in a fantastic header.

"It was a great relief all round. You can only imagine the headlines we'd have got had we failed to beat a team which had played the last half an hour with only nine men.

"Aberdeen made it very hard for us but we kept our heads, kept working hard and it was a wonderful feeling to see Liam Miller score a second which put the game totally beyond them.

"We'd been putting Aberdeen under a lot of pressure and, I thought, we thoroughly deserved our win at the end of the day. It was a terrific victory because it keeps us right up there with the Old Firm.

"It was also our sixth successive match without defeat which, I think, shows a measure of consistency in our game but there's no secret to it other than hard work on the training ground every day and then knuckling down on a Saturday to trying to get the three points. The win over Aberdeen was very important to us.

"A point at Ibrox was great but beating Aberdeen was a massive result.

"While points from the Old Firm matches are highly welcome, I think it is vital we are winning against the likes of them, Dundee United and Hearts.

"If we can do that then I feel we will be in with a great chance of taking third place this season."

One of seven players from that Under-19 side to be handed first-team contracts, Byrne has watched David Wotherspoon star in virtually every match so far this season while he has been limited to less than a handful of appearances as a substitute.

But while in a hurry to make his mark, the Dublin-born youngster insisted that, with the likes of Nish, Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes, Abdessalam Benjelloun and Zemmama ahead of him in the pecking order, he's happy to be patient.

He said: "David has done brilliantly well and deserves to be holding down a place in the side. I've been involved a few times and it was terrific for me to come on against Aberdeen and play a part in helping us win the game.

"Of course it can be frustrating for any player not involved as it happened to me until I got a seat on the bench at Ibrox the previous week but I am young, I have to sit back, watch the matches and learn.

"Whatever decision the gaffer makes, I'm 100 per cent behind him.

"The boys ahead of me are all very experienced and four of them are full internationalists so I can have no complaints.

"I train with them every day, I watch what they are doing and hopefully I am learning a lot from them. It was unfortunate for Zouma that he picked up that injury so early in the game but you have to be ready to take your chance when it comes.

"I'm quite happy playing on the right wing as well as through the middle and I thought I did okay for myself.

"I don't know what discussion took place between the gaffer and Brian Rice at that stage, I was too busy warming up behind the goal, but I was obviously delighted to get the call.

"Obviously there's a big difference between the Under-19s and playing in the SPL, the game is played at a much faster tempo but you have to go in there and deal with it.

"I had a chance in the first half when Anthony played me in but my first touch let me down as it pushed me a bit wide and Richard Foster was like lightning, over the block my shot.

"I feel I should have scored."

Now Byrne has his fingers crossed he'll be part of Hughes' plans as Hibs prepare for the first Edinburgh derby of the season, Saturday's short trip across the Capital to Tynecastle.

He said: "It's brilliant to be playing for such an attack-minded manager, at one point against Aberdeen we had five attacking players on the park.

"I'll have to wait and see what happens this week but obviously I'm hoping to be involved in some way against Hearts in what is another big match for us."

Hibs' form this season has not only seen Liam Miller a regular member of Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland squad but resulted in an international recall for Stokes for the make-or-break World Cup play-off matches against France.

And while he admits he is still a bit away from a full cap, Byrne added: "My first aim has to be to get myself into the Under-21s and then try to take things from there.

"But it is brilliant to know Trapattoni is watching what is going on in Scotland. I was delighted to see both Liam and Anthony called up for the French matches which, obviously, are huge, huge games for our country."