Hearts were defeated 2-0 by Civil Service Strollers at Ainslie Park on Friday night.
A second half strike from Strollers’ Callum Yeates and a Matty Gillies own goal gave the away side the three points.
Angus Beith made four changes from the 1-1 draw against Linlithgow Rose. Ethan Drysdale, Bailey Dall and Owen Muirhead all came into the side, with a debut for midfielder Aiden Haddow.
It was a promising start to the match for the Jambos.
They had their first chance of the evening after a couple of minutes. The ball came out to Ryan Duncan at the edge of the box who hit a low strike on his right foot which was a comfortable one for Strollers goalkeeper Freddie Owens.
On 20 minutes, Duncan drove from midfield and unleashed a powerful strike from outside the area on his right foot which was blocked well by a Strollers defender and cleared away.
Hearts had a great opportunity to open the scoring in the 25th minute. The ball was played over the top of the Strollers defence and into the path of Mackenzie Ross, who was forced wider than he would’ve liked and his strike was eventually blocked and went out for a corner.
Goalkeeper Jack Lyon came to the rescue for the Jambos shortly after. Strollers skipper MarcLaird struck a powerful low shot from outside the Hearts box which looked destined for the bottom left corner, but Lyon got down well to his right hand side and palmed it away.
The Jam Tarts had a pair of chances before the break to go ahead.
Following some neat passing from Hearts, the ball arrived at the feet of Bobby McLuckie who got the ball onto his left foot before his strike rattled off the crossbar and was eventually cleared away by the Strollers defence.
In the 45th minute, Bailey Dall whipped in an inviting ball into the box on his left foot which found Ross, but the ball hit off his shoulder and went behind for a goal kick.
Half-time: Heart of Midlothian 0-0 Civil Service Strollers
Strollers looked far more dangerous in the second half.
Marc Laird sent in a ball from a free kick on the edge of the box for Strollers, and striker Alieu Faye headed over from six yards out.
The away side made their pressure count in the 65th minute.
The corner was whipped in from the right which punched out by Jack Lyon in goal. It ame out to Callum Yeats who struck a shot from outside the box which curled into the top right corner for 1-0.
Strollers went 2-0 up moments later through another corner which was whipped in and unfortunately glanced off the head of Matty Gillies into the bottom right corner.
Hearts had a great chance to pull a goal back late on.
The ball was whipped in from the right wing and Taylor Hogarth arrived at the back post to strike from a few yards out, which was somehow kept out by Owens to deny the Jambos.
Hearts: Lyon, Drysdale (Hogarth 77’), Nair ©, Dall, McLuckie, Duncan, Gillies, Ross (Plank 56’), Crookston, Muirhead, Haddow (Osborne 71’)
Subs: MacDonald, Plank, James, Hogarth, Osborne
Civil Service Strollers: Owens, McCulloch, Valentine, Shaw, Klimionek, McLeod, Findlay, Laird ©, Faye, Smith, Yeats
Subs: Ritchie, Aluko, Bone, Kazoka, Clarke, Sylla
