Home comfort / Hearts win in front of fans
Hearts, playing in front of their own fans for the first time since March last year, made it two out of two in the Premier Sports Cup with a 3-0 win over Cove Rangers at Tynecastle last night.
The Group A leaders, who beat Peterhead on Saturday, did not disappoint the 2,000 supporters allowed into the Gorgie ground with a polished display.
Andy Halliday's opener opened the scoring before Liam Boyce scored for the second game in succession. After the break Gary Mackay-steven made it three.
HEARTS
COVE RANGERS
3
Craig Gordon set a new Hearts goalkeeping record with a ninth successive clean sheet in the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup victory over Cove Rangers.
In front of supporters at Tynecastle Park for the first timein494days,andyhalliday, Liam Boyce and Gary Mackaysteven claimed the goals to put Robbie Neilson’s side in firm command of Group A.
Gordon recorded his ninth shutout in a row for his club to eclipse the previous best tally of eight, set by Jon Mclaughlin during season 2017/18. In truth, it was perhaps the easiest evening the Scotland internationalist has had given he barely touched the ball.
That Paul Hartley’s return to Tynecastle coincided with that of the supporters who adored his time in maroon seemed quite fitting. League One Cove suffered a 3-2 home defeat by Stirling Albion on Saturday whilst Hearts were winning at Peterhead, so the visitors needed something from this visit to the Capital to avoid being out of the running in Group A.
Teenagerfinlaypollockmade his first start for the Edinburgh club but ten minutes in Cove almost silenced the stadium’s eageraudienceof1,983.iainvigurs’ through pass found Leighton Mcintosh on a diagonal run into the Hearts penalty area, and he clipped an attempt over Gordon which Michael Smith hooked off his own goal line.
A minute later Halliday opened the scoring. He collected Josh Ginnelly’s square pass andstrokedasumptuousfinish low into the visitors’ net from almost 30 yards.
Ginnelly’s pace and direct running was tormenting his direct opponent, the Cove leftback
Harry Milne, and from the winger’s low cutback Pollock swivelled to shoot against a post on 20 minutes.
A regular feature of Hearts’ new 3-4-3 system is right wingback Michael Smith stepping into midfield when his team gain possession. He ventured even further forward after 32 minutes to collect a through pass from Boyce and shoot, onlyforvisitinggoalkeeperkyle Gourlay to touch the ball wide.
Smithwasintegraltothehosts doubling their advantage right on half-time. His driven cross wasparriedbygourlaystraight toboyce,whocalmlyslottedthe rebound into the net.
Ten minutes after the interval it was 3-0. Cove were the architectsoftheirowndownfallwith slack distribution from a goal kick.hallidayseizedpossession formackay-steventoruthlessly punish the carelessness with a powerful low finish.
Gourlayneededstronghands to repel Ginnelly’s shot from a tight angle midway through the second period. Cove looked abeatensidebutneverstopped competingtoatleastreducethe deficit.
With the tie won, Hearts introduced another Riccarton academy graduate 13 minutes from the end in 17-year-old midfielder Aidan Denholm.
Substitute Rory Mcallister almost ended Gordon’s clean sheet sequence from Fraser Fyvie’s cross but his header bounced wide. At the opposite end, Gourlay thwarted both Aaron Mceneff and Boyce late on.