A late strike from Katie Lockwood was enough to see Hearts defeat Spartans 1-0 in wet and windy conditions at Oriam on Sunday.
Eva Olid handed a debut to new signing Megan Bell, whereas fellow new arrival Rachael Johnstone was named among the subs.
It was a dominant first 45 from the Jambos and they will have walked down the tunnel at the break in disbelief as to how they hadn’t found the breakthrough.
Georgia Timms was presented with two opportunities inside the opening ten minutes, but was denied on both occasions by Spartans stopper Alicia Yates.
It would be a busy afternoon for Yates and the visitors goal was certainly living in a charmed life in the early exchanges, Yates could only watch as Lizzie Waldie’s looping header came back off the post and into the arms of the grateful arms of the keeper after 12 minutes.
The Jambos continued to dominate and the chances kept on coming, none clearer than Katie Lockwood’s on 24 minutes. Danni Findlay threaded a neat ball through for the Hearts number ten and with Yates stranded, the Jambos were again denied by the woodwork.
Into the second half and with Hearts now having a strong wind behind them, the Jambos continued their onslaught on the Spartans goal.
After Carly Girasoli had headed over from Lockwood’s corner, Waldie was denied by the woodwork for the second time, rising highest to meet a corner from the right but her effort crashed off the crossbar.
Just as it was starting to look like it wasn’t going to be Hearts’ day, Waldie’s cross dropped to Lockwood, who first time, slammed the ball home on the volley to make the breakthrough 12 minutes from time.
It was no more than the Jambos’ deserved and after five minutes of stoppage time, in seriously deteriorating conditions, the whistle sounded too much relief around Oriam.
The Jambos remain in fifth spot, as attention turns to the Scottish Cup next weekend.
Hearts: Parker-Smith, Brownlie, Hunter ©, Grant, Timms, Lockwood, Waldie, Handley, Bell, Girasoli, Findlay
Subs: Johnstone, Penman, Rennie, Adamolekun, Davies, Michie, E.Husband, J.Husband
Spartans: Yates, Clelland, Browning, Marshall ©, Gibb, McCafferty, Galbraith, Jordan, Robinson, Foote, Bates
Subs: Gallagher, Mason, S. McMahon, D. McMahon, Henderson, Douglas, Laird
