Hearts B suffered defeat for the first time in the league this season as Tranent left Ainslie Park with all three points, thanks to Dean Brett’s first-half penalty.
Liam Fox made three changes to the side that defeated Linlithgow Rose during the week. Gus Stevenson, Dom Plank and Matty Gillies all came into the starting 11, as Kai Smutek, Bobby McLuckie and Mackenzie Ross dropped out.
After the dramatic late finish during the week, Fox would’ve been hoping for a more routine victory back on home soil, but despite dominating the early possession, chances weren’t coming easy for the men in maroon, against a very well-organised Tranent.
A well-timed run from Stevenson saw him in behind the visitors backline on 7 minutes, he brought Luke Rathie's pass under control, but his effort was deflected behind for a corner.
From the resulting corner, Hearts came even closer. Adam Forrester nodded Plank’s deep delivery back across goal and when the ball dropped to Rathie, he lacked composure and volleyed over from inside the box.
Up the other end, the visitors came close themselves on 12 minutes, a mix-up at the back saw the ball presented to Harry Girdwood, but with the goal gaping, Jamie MacDonald sprung to his left to stop his shot.
The visitors enjoyed a better spell for the next ten minutes, after an initial fast start from Hearts, but the Jambos should really have opened the scoring on 23 minutes, when Forrester’s cross from the right just evaded Sandilands and missed the far post by a matter of centimetres.
Hearts were punished for their missed opportunities as Tranent took the lead on the half-hour mark, courtesy of Dean Brett’s penalty.
One final chance passed the Jambos by in the final minute of the half as Gus Stevenson shrugged off the attentions of two Tranent jersey’s and fired an effort on goal. Kelby Mason could only watch on, but the ball came back off the foot of the post, before getting caught under the feet of James Wilson, who was unable to bundle home on the rebound.
Half-time: Hearts B 0-1 Tranent
McLuckie and Ryan Duncan were introduced not long after half-time, but it just wasn’t happening for the Wee Jambos and it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the second half, as Euan Bald headed over from Adam McGowan’s corner on the hour mark.
The second half continued in a similar fashion, with Hearts seeing just about all of the ball, but it was in front of the Tranent backline, who continued to stand tall.
Two quickfire opportunities fell for the Jambos on the 70-minute mark, both coming from play down the right involving Finlay Pollock. Firstly, he crossed for Wilson, who saw a goal-bound effort deflected behind, before he pulled the ball back for Sandilands to fire straight at Mason.
The visitors dug deep and after five minutes of stoppage time, and one final block to divert a Hearts strike away from goal, the final whistle to sounded to cap a rare, disappointing night for the Wee Jambos.
Hearts: MacDonald, Stevenson (Duncan, 52), Wilson, Sandilands, Plank (McLuckie, 52), Gillies, Lister, Forrester ©, Rathie (Smutek, 68), Tait, Pollock
Subs: Tas, Smith, Smutek, McLuckie, Duncan, Ross, Crookston
Tranent: Mason, Bauld ©, Girdwood, Brett, Greig, Viola, S. Gray, R. Gray, Doan, Stirling
Subs: Beveridge, McGarry, Stewart, Trialist, Ward
