ANOTHER week, another Scottish football maelstrom. Not for the first time, it was Hibernian’s Ryan Porteous caught in the whirlpool of a post-match debrief, accused of being a “blatant cheat” in the wake of his team’s win over Aberdeen on Saturday.
That rather damning moniker had come from Dons manager Jim Goodwin, who felt the Scotland internationalist had duped the referee in the moments leading up to Hibs’ first-half penalty. Undoubtedly, Porteous and Liam Scales - the victim, in the Aberdeen version of events - had both been ‘at it’, tangling with one another in the box.
But it was Scales who was punished, given a second yellow card, and left to watch his team’s one-goal lead disappear over the course of an afternoon that quickly turned sour for Aberdeen.
How much the narrative around Porteous was genuine and how much it has been used to deflect from the Dons’ abject showing - even before Martin Boyle equalised from the spot, Hibs had been in the ascendancy - is up for debate. But the Aberdeen camp was certainly united in its view.
“This is the first time I have played Hibs and I was aware this guy [Porteous] that he is meant to be a diver,” said goalkeeper Kelle Roos, without any prompting. “Hopefully, the referee has gotten it right because this guy [Porteous] has got a name for himself. It was very questionable.
“Liam tried to defend the goal. He gets dragged into the nonsense that player tries to cause.
"I work with the goalkeeper department on what their strengths are, and both Craig Samson and Joe [Lewis] have mentioned about this guy’s reputation.
“If I know that, then I presume refs know that. If they don’t, they should.”
Whether Porteous’ actions were punishable by a trip to the tower or not appeared to very much depend on the colour tint to your glasses on Saturday. Some will argue it’s part of the game, with players using every trick in the book to eke out an advantage. Others, like Goodwin, believe it has no place.
Roos seemed to fall somewhere in the middle of both trains of thought.
“It’s difficult,” the Dutchman said. “The players who dive, live and breathe to win the game. In the heat of the moment, players do things they aren’t always proud of. Some players have that in them, some don’t.
“It’s always easy for the strong and tough guys to say: ‘They should be tougher.’ Some players play to different strengths.
“You can say you like it, or you hate it. I knew he had a name for himself. That must mean there have been some questionable things. I hope the refs know that; it’s not my job to make those decisions.
“I didn’t waste my time speaking to him about it. I don’t see the point. Emotions run high in football.”
Away from the controversy, it’s quietly proving to be a standout season for Josh Campbell. His brace took his goal tally up to five already (he scored just one last time out) and he suddenly looks the real deal.
And he was in no doubt the difference to his game this time around.
“Sometimes `I get involved too much in all areas of the pitch,” he said. “I want to be on the ball. Sometimes he [Lee Johnson] tells me just to take a breather and play my position. When I get the ball, it’s touch, pass, move. There’s more control involved.
“Last season, I was a bit erratic. I was young and had never played in the top flight and just wanted to be quick and busy. Now he is saying to relax and put your foot on it.
“He always tells me to make the run in behind teams. He has taken my game up a lot. I was with him quite close in the first week in Portugal.”
