Hearts B were defeated 2-0 by Broomhill at Ainslie Park on Friday night.
Head coach Liam Fox made four changes from the side that lined up against Bo’ness a fortnight ago. Jack Lyon made his competitive B Team debut, replacing the injured Jamie MacDonald between the sticks as Ryan Duncan, Macaulay Tait and James Wilson also came in from the start.
It’d been a challenging start to the season for Broomhill, who arrived at Ainslie Park at the foot of the Lowland League, but they had the first chance of the evening when tricky left winger Tuacenio dos Santos fired over following a cross from the opposite flank after 8 minutes.
It hadn’t been the most fluent of starts from the Wee Jambos, but they were almost in front three minutes later. Adam Forrester picked up a nice position centrally and after taking a good first touch and turning, he let fly from distance. His effort had Stephen Barr in the visitors’ goal beaten, but came back off the foot of the post, before the flag was raised to rule out James Wilson’s finish on the rebound.
Wilson was again left frustrated shortly after, this time, by Barr. It was a nice one-two between Dom Plank and Gus Stevenson down the right wing to start the move and when the formers low cross picked out Bobby McLuckie, he recycled the ball, laying it into the path of Henry James to deliver the perfect cross for Wilson, but Barr stuck out a leg to deny the striker.
Four minutes later, the men in maroon were punished for those missed chances. The visitors were allowed too much time down the right wing and Lewis Lobban’s deflected cross found its way past Lyon.
Hearts looked for a quick response and McLuckie was looking the danger man, but it was the visitors who almost doubled their lead eight minutes before the break, but it was a strong hand from Lyon to stop the shot following a clever short corner routine.
Half-time: Hearts 0-1 Broomhill
As has so often been the case this season and last, the men in maroon were looking to their wide players for inspiration. Plank had the first chance of the second period, but after driving forward with purpose, he saw two efforts blocked by white and blue jerseys.
It was becoming a frustrating night for the Wee Jambos and after Wilson saw the flag deny him a goal for the second time, the visitors doubled their lead on 69 minutes.
A dangerous free kick dropped to Michael Aitken and after his first effort was blocked, the ball rebounded straight back into the defender’s path, and he volleyed low into the bottom corner.
Hearts continued to see plenty of the ball, but it had been a resolute defensive display from the visitors and the Wee Jambos were unable to break them down as all three points returned west.
Hearts: Lyon, Smith, Smutek, Stevenson (Osborne, 73), McLuckie (Gillies, 63), Duncan (Ross, 73), Wilson (Muirhead, 80), Plank (Crookston, 80), James, Forrester ©, Tait
Subs: Tas, Gillies, Ross, Crookston, Muirhead, Osborne, Burn
Broomhill: Barr, Rowley, Aitken, Duffy ©, Lind, Mahon, Lobban, Corrigan, Santos, McColl, Fairlie
Subs: Collumbine, Kasa, Caffrey, Wright, O’Donnell, Thomson
