They left it late, but a brace from Bayley Hutchison and a late strike from Monica Forsyth saw Hearts Women head into the international break with three points following a 3-0 victory over Montrose at Links Park.
Eva Olid made three changes from the side that achieved the historic victory Celtic last weekend as Brodie Greenwood, Sade Adamolekun and Jess Husband replaced Monica Forsyth, Eilidh Shore and Joely Andrews.
It was a blustery afternoon in the north-east and after passing an early pitch inspection the match went ahead. The windy conditions resulted in the opening ten minutes being particularly scrappy as Hearts struggled to get their foot on the ball and dictate possession how they like.
Much of the Jambos’ success in the first half came from wide areas with both Lauren Wade and Jessica Husband getting to the byline and flashing dangerous deliveries into the middle to no avail.
Perhaps the women in maroon’s best chance of the half came through positive play from Jess Husband down the right wing, she got to the byline and crossed for Bayley Hutchison, but her glancing header dropped just wide of the far post.
As the clock ticked into the final five minutes of the first period, the women in maroon were enjoying their best spell of the match. Adamolekun and Jess Husband forced Kirsten Pratt into good stops, before the ball dropped to Kayla Jardine on the edge of the area, but she dragged her effort wide.
Half-time: Montrose 0-0 Hearts
Olid would’ve hoped for a reaction from her side at the beginning of the second half but it wasn’t forthcoming, so a triple change was made shortly after the interval with Jackie Richards, Andrews and Forsyth all introduced.
Hearts continued to huff and puff in search of the opening goal, but as the game wore on, the home side grew in confidence and almost stunned the women in maroon on the hour mark as Cassie Cowper struck the crossbar from a free kick from 25-yards.
The Jambos dropped points in this fixture last season, and it was looking increasingly likely history was going to repeat itself, but 15 minutes from time Hutchison headed home Emma Brownlie’s cross to spare Hearts’ blushes.
Just two minutes later, the number 19 secured the points with her second of the afternoon. It was more good play down the right, this time it was Adamolekun with the cross and Hutchison was in the right place to fire home at the near post.
The pick of the bunch arrived two minutes from time, a perfectly weighted ball in behind from Adamolekun found substitute Monica Forsyth, who kept her cool to beat Pratt and add further gloss to the scoreline.
Montrose: Pratt, Carter, McLaren ©, Ross, Guthrie, Daniel, Taylor, Brown, Henderson, Robb, Cowper
Subs: Armitage, Creamer, McHattie, Murphy, Stewart, Murchie, Bruce, Delworth, Codegoni
Hearts: Johnstone, Brownlie, Robertson, Wade (Forsyth, 56), Waldie (Ilijoski, 85), Jardine (Andrews, 56), Greenwood, Adamolekun, Hutchison, E. Husband (Broadrick, 82), J. Husband (Richards, 56)
Subs: Parker-Smith, Ilijoski, Morgan, Forsyth, Shore, Andrews, Richards, Broadrick, Mackinlay
