Halkett spares Hearts blushes

Heart of Midlothian 2 Stenhousemuir 1

Scottish League Cup – Group A – Wednesday 23^rd
July 2019 – Tynecastle Park

Summertime
and the living is easy. Except if you’re a Hearts supporter.

Glorious
sunshine baked the capital city for most of Wednesday and Hearts fans headed to
Gorgie ready to sit back in the evening sun and soak up a goals feast against
League Two side Stenhousemuir.

After
Dundee United’s surprise defeat from East Fife on Tuesday evening, Hearts had
the opportunity to return to the top of Group A of the Betfred Scottish League
Cup by beating the Ochilview side, but the Maroons naturally did it the hard
way – the very hard way.

Stenny
made their intentions clear from kick off and camped themselves inside their
own half, content to absorb their Premiership opponents attack after attack.
Hearts inability to score goals was a concern last season and nothing has
changed during the six-week close season.

In the
first half Steven MacLean hit the post, John Souttar set up Conor Washington
and Jamie Walker but chance after chance went abegging.

Anthony
McDonald was providing width, but Hearts play was all-too predictable. After a goalless
first half the second period took on the pattern of the first with Jake
Mulraney replacing McDonald and Uche Ikpeazu taking over from the ineffective
MacLean.

There
was an astonishing array of misses from Hearts early in the second half when Ollie
Bozanic, Jamie Walker and Conor Washington missed consecutive chances as groans
of despair emanated from the home support.

Those
groans turned to anger when, with just 13 minutes left, the deadlock was
finally broken – and Stenhousemuir took a sensational lead. The visitors broke swiftly
on the counterattack and Cook’s cross was stabbed home by McGuigan to the
delight of the small band of Stenny fans in the Roseburn Stand.

At
this point some of the Hearts supporters turned on manager Craig Levein and,
indeed, some fans headed for the exits.

But
with eight minutes to go Hearts finally scored when Sean Clare’s corner fell kindly
for Craig Halkett and the centre half buried the ball past Stenny keeper Smith.
Relief from the home support which amplified five minutes later Halkett grabbed
his second goal of the evening – and his third of the season – when he headed
home Jake Mulraney’s cross.

It was tough luck on a gallant Stenhousemuir but there’s no doubt Hearts deserved the win which sees them top Group A. The Jambos conclude the group fixtures with a trip to East Fife on Saturday.

Hearts: Zlamal, M. Smith,
Souttar, Bozanic, Clare, Washington (Keena, 59′), Walker, MacLean (Ikpeazu,
55′), McDonald (Mulraney, 55′), Halkett, Hickey.

Stenhousemuir: Smith, McIlduff, McKernon
(Watters, 83′), Marsh, McGuigan, Hopkirk, Cook, McLaughlin, M. Munro (Halleran,
63′), Scullion (Anderson, 90′), A. Munro.

Referee: Alan Newlands

Attendance: 7,299

Top man: Aaron Hickey