Hearts B made it back-to-back victories as they defeated Berwick Rangers 2-1 at Shielfield Park on Saturday.
Angus Beith made two changes from the side that defeated Broxburn last time out as Bobby McLuckie and Gregor Crookston replaced Gus Stevenson and Matty Gillies.
The men in maroon were buoyed by last weekend’s victory and they started brightly at Shielfield with Callum Sandilands forcing a good stop from Callum Antell in the Berwick goal inside 90 seconds.
As for the home side, they were playing 4-4-2 and were quick at getting the ball from back to front. Their first opening of the afternoon came from the second phase of a set play, but Cai Macnamara could only curl the ball into the gloves of Jamie MacDonald from the edge of the box.
The men in maroon found themselves two goals down at the interval when they travelled to Berwick last season, but they made sure history wasn’t going to repeat it themselves as they drew first blood on 11 minutes.
Bobby McLuckie timed his run well down the right wing and did the right thing by unselfishly rolling the ball across goal for Mackenzie Ross to smash past Antell from close range.
To their credit, the home side responded well after going behind with much of their good play coming from right back Alfie Robinson, a tenacious run from him won a corner for the hosts, but Jamie Watson headed wide after finding space in the box.
The surface wasn’t the easiest to play football on, but the Wee Jambos doubled their lead on 25 minutes with a fine team goal. McLuckie found himself under pressure, but he managed to turn and find Sandilands, the skipper slid a perfect ball through to the onrushing Dom Plank who took the ball round Antell and slotted into the empty net.
The men in maroon nearly wrapped it up on the half hour mark, it was another great run in behind, this time, from Ryan Duncan, he looked to lob the onrushing Antell, but the stopper got a good hand on it to tip it onto the bar and behind for a corner.
The chances kept coming for Hearts and some brilliant last-ditch defending from the home side prevented them from adding a third goal, five minutes before the interval.
It was initially a great block from Lucas Smith, who charged down a bit of a lost cause and when the ball rebounded into the path of Dom Plank, he forced Antell into a good stop, before Ross’ rebound was cleared off the line.
For all the Jambos’ good work in the first half, it was almost undone in the final minute as Watson was slipped clean through on goal, but his shot was well stopped by MacDonald.
Half-time: Berwick Rangers 0-2 Hearts B
Jamie MacDonald didn’t return for the second half and was replaced between the sticks by Jack Lyon.
The home side started the second half well and continued to threaten from set plays, fortunately for the Wee Jambos, Kai Smutek was on hand to clear Jamie McCormack’s header off the line.
Berwick came even closer to halving the deficit just seconds later as Niall Kemp crossed for Rayan Mohammed, but the ball looked to take a bobble as the striker ballooned his effort over from close range.
The men in maroon hadn’t created much in the second half, but another chance arrived to secure the three points on 63 mintues as Plank slipped in Sandilands, but from an acute angle, he dragged his effort wide with his left foot.
The home side did eventually find the goal their second half performance had deserved as McCormack again got his head on Ben McCrystal’s corner to head home at the front post.
Berwick were fancying their chances after halving the deficit but Lyon was a match for everything they threw at him in the final stages, as Alfie Robinson and Mohammed were both denied as the men in maroon rolled up their sleeves to grind out back to back victories.
Berwick Rangers: Antell, McGinley, Pyper, McCormack, O’Connor, McCrystal, Barr, Watson, Mohammed, Macnamara, Robinson
Subs: Kay, Collins, Devers, Kemp, Ashraf
Hearts: MacDonald (Lyon, 46), Smith, Nair, Smutek, McLuckie, Duncan (Gillies, 700, Sandilands ©, Plank (Stevenson, 71), Ross (Robb, 87), Crookston, Tait
Subs: Lyon, Stevenson, Gillies, James, Robb
