Hearts B produced another impressive performance on Friday night as they defeated Lowland League leaders East Kilbride 4-2 at Ainslie Park.
Liam Fox made two changes from the side that saw off Tranent last time out. Luke Rathie missed out alongside Mackenzie Ross as James Wilson and Kenzi Nair came into the side.
With the two highest scorers in the league facing off, this always had the feeling of a game that could produce goals and so it transpired.
The Wee Jambos, buoyed by last week’s result, were fast out the traps and struck first from the penalty spot on nine minutes. Finlay Pollock latched on to Lennon Thompson’s free kick down the left-hand side of the penalty box, before being brought down by Dylan MacDonald.
The referee pointed to the spot and up stepped Wilson to send Matthew Connelly the wrong way and open the scoring.
Just two minutes later, the Wee Jambos doubled their lead. Pollock was again involved, pouncing on a loose pass in the Kilby backline, he chopped in off the left and fired in a low cross which was smartly turned home at the front post by Callum Sandilands.
The visitors seemed startled, but they were given the perfect chance to halve the deficit with a spot-kick of their own after 21 minutes. John Robertson stepped up and sent Liam McFarlane the wrong way to make it 2-1.
That goal didn’t faze the men in maroon and they produced a wonderful move that almost restored their two-goal lead shortly after. A quick counter saw the ball moved from the right to left and eventually, Pollock forced Connelly into a smart stop down low to his right.
Just as it was looking like the scoring was finished for the first 45, Hearts broke upfield in stoppage time. Sandilands was sent clean through on goal and kept his cool to finish low past Connelly and give the Jambos a huge boost heading down the tunnel.
Half-time: Hearts 3-1 East Kilbride
There was always going to be a response from the league leaders at the start of the second half and they got themselves back within a goal eight minutes after the interval. A free kick from the left was sent into a dangerous area and Robert Thomson rose highest to flick the ball home via the far post.
In truth, it was a scrappy second half with little possession kept from either side, but the Wee Jambos once again managed to restore their two-goal cushion 14 minutes from time.
Half-time substitute Bobby McLuckie burned past his man down the left, before delivering the perfect low cross for Wilson to tap home his second of the night.
Perhaps understandably, that goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors as the men in maroon saw out the remainder of the game with relative ease to complete a league double over Kilby.
Hearts: McFarlane, Dall, Wilson, Sandilands, Thomas (Ross, 80), Stevenson (Duncan, 69), Gordon, Nair (Thompson, 6), Forrester ©, Smutek, Pollock (McLuckie, 46)
Subs: McConnell, McLuckie, Duncan, Friel, Ross, Thompson, Smith
East Kilbride: Connelly, Lockie ©, McDonald, Balde, Flanagan, Spence, Samson, Daramola, MacDonald, Robertson, Thomson
Subs: Cowie, Ferguson, McGrory, Arnott, Biggar, Morrison, Stirling
