Hearts B were defeated 3-2 by East Kilbride at Ainslie Park on Tuesday night.
Angus Beith made one change for the visit of East Kilbride as Dom Plank returned to the starting line-up in place of Alfie Osborne.
The visitors came into this one on the back of two heavy defeats and while they would’ve been looking for a response in the capital, they got off to the worst possible start as the men in maroon opened the scoring inside 90 seconds.
It wasn’t Kilby stopper Craig Truesdale’s finest moment and after the visitors got away with one as Matty Gillies charged down the ‘keepers’ clearance, he presented the ball straight to Aiden Haddow from the resulting free kick. Slipping as he tried to make amends for his error, it was a simple task for the midfielder to slot home.
The visitors were given the perfect opportunity to respond just five minutes later as Joao Balde was brought down in the penalty box by Ryan Duncan. John Robertson stepped up, but his spot kick was saved by Lyndon Tas.
Kilby were enjoying the majority of possession, but Tas wasn’t overly tested, with many of their efforts coming from long-range.
Just as it looked like the Wee Jambos were going to head down the tunnel with the lead, Kilby skipper Jack Leitch restored parity, turning home a cross from the right, five minutes before the break.
Half-time: Hearts B 1-1 East Kilbride
The men in maroon squandered a brilliant chance to regain their lead just seconds after the restart as Matty Gillies looked to square the ball for Mackenzie Ross, who would’ve been left with a tap in, but the pass was just outwith the reach of the forward and Kilby survived.
The Wee Jambos were punished for that missed opportunity straight away as Cameron Elliott tapped home from close range after good play down the left wing.
Hearts levelled the scores once more on 57 minutes. It was initially a nice turn in midfield from Haddow, before working the ball right to Gregor Crookston. The full back found Dom Plank on the edge of the box, and he reversed his shot back across goal and in at the near post.
Kilby restored their advantage on 66 minutes. Henry James looked to have a good case for a push when attempting to win an aerial duel but as play continued, the ball was cut back for Leitch to grab his second of the evening and put the visitors back in front.
Hearts huffed and puffed in search of the equaliser once more, but it wasn’t to be as the visitors held on to take all three points.
Hearts: Tas, Nair ©, Smutek, Duncan, Plank, Gillies (Robb, 62), Ross, Crookston, James, Hogarth (Dow, 80), Haddow (Osborne, 85)
Subs: MacDonald, Robb, Dow, Osborne, Mulholland, Burn
East Kilbride: Truesdale, Ferguson, Fagan, Leitch ©, Balde, Elliott, Robertson, Livingstone, McShane, McGregor, Hamilton
Subs: Connelly, MacDonald, Flanagan, McKinley, Craik, Main, Mimnaugh
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website at full-time, head coach Beith said:
“I think individually I was expecting more. I think the way the game panned out, it was man for man across the whole pitch. So, I think individually across the pitch we didn't get the better of our opponent more often than not. We didn't find ways in possession to outwit our opponent and get the better of them.
“And then they picked up more second balls, were better in the duels, which made it a trickier night for us. And I think as well, at the top end of the pitch, they were more clinical.
“We had a couple of moments where, attacking transition moments, start of the second half, where we could have gone 2-1 up and then maybe could have levelled the game, which let us down. I just wanted to see us take the ball under pressure a wee bit more and compete a wee bit better.”
