Match report: Hearts B 6-1 Berwick Rangers

Hearts B got back to winning ways on Friday night as they hit Berwick Rangers for six at Ainslie Park.

Liam Fox made five changes to the side that was beaten by Tranent last time out as Lucas Smith, Kai Smutek, Bobby McLuckie, Ryan Duncan and Mackenzie Ross all came into the starting line-up.

The head coach would’ve been looking for a response following last week’s poor result, and the Wee Jambos were almost ahead inside the opening minute.  Ross worked the ball right to Finlay Pollock, and his low strike was saved by the feet of Calum Antell.

Despite the early chance, it was a cagey beginning, with the wind playing its part and neither side carving out too many clear openings.

The closest the visitors came was when Alan Cook tried to catch Jamie MacDonald off his line from his own half, his effort had the distance, but dropped just wide of the stoppers left post.

The game needed a goal to spark it into life and it arrived on 20 minutes. A lovely, weighted pass from Henry Lister down the left channel sent McLuckie on his bike. Antell was caught in two minds of whether to come off his line or not, he stayed at home and in the end, was in no man’s land as McLuckie squared for Ross to tap home the opener.

The goal didn’t really spark the game into life in truth and it was the visitors who created the best chance before the interval, but Adam Forrester threw his body in the way to block a powerful, goal-bound volley from inside the box.

Half-time: Hearts 1-0 Berwick Rangers

Just like in the first half, the Wee Jambos created an early chance after the interval and this time, they took it. A nice ball out of defence from Kai Smutek found Finlay Pollock in acres of space, he got to the byline and crossed for McLuckie, who slammed the ball past Antell at the back post to double the men in maroon’s lead.

McLuckie then put the visitors to the sword just before the hour mark, latching on to a ball down the right-hand side of the penalty box, he kept his cool to slot the ball low past the onrushing Antell and wrap up the three points.

The Jambos weren’t done there and it felt like every chance in the second half was resulting in a goal. A quick break and a nice flick round the corner from Pollock found Ross in space. He found Ryan Duncan, who with the outside of his boot, slotted the ball past Antell to make it four.

The visitors hadn’t offered a lot in the second half, but they pulled one back on 68 minutes. A neat ball down the right found Grant Nelson and from an acute angle, he lobbed MacDonald to grab a consolation goal.

The Wee Jambos wanted the final word however and McLuckie bagged the match-ball 15 minutes from time. Just like his first goal of the night, he was on hand at the back post to fire home a Pollock cross from the right.

Two minutes from time came the icing on the cake as substitute Owen Muirhead took the ball round Antell and slotted home his first B-Team goal to ensure the men in maroon got back to winning ways in style.

Hearts: MacDonald, Smith, Smutek, McLuckie (Hogarth, 80), Duncan (Gillies, 75), Sandilands, Ross, Lister, Forrester © (Muirhead, 80), Tait, Pollock (Plank, 80)

Subs: Tas, Stevenson, Plank, Gillies, Crookston, Muirhead, Hogarth

Berwick Rangers: Antell, Devers, Fellows, Robinson, McCormack ©, Stevenson, Nelson, Barr, Buchanan, Cook, Collins

Subs: Kay, McGinley, Armstrong, Carr-Brown, MacNamara, Laidlaw, Ashraf