Spartans 1-0 Hearts B

Spartans 1-0 Hearts B

Lowland League

Tuesday 26th July 2022

This proved to be one of those nights for Hearts’ B Team as they experienced their first defeat of the season - losing 1-0 at Spartans due to an unfortunate own goal on the half-hour mark.

The youngsters gave another okay account of themselves and played some more decent football at times; dictating some parts of the game, showing good intentions/ideas and then dominating the final 30 minutes where they pushed hard for an equaliser albeit to no avail. 

A point apiece would have been a fair reflection but a set-piece was ultimately the game’s defining moment and it occurred around the 30-minute mark. Luke Rathie conceded a cheap free-kick in a deep area (something which will be a learning curve in his development) and from the resulting cross, Gregor Woods' delivery towards the back-post ricocheted off a Hearts player and looped over Harry Stone.

Unlucky not to hit back in four or five instances where the attacker strayed just beyond the last man after teasing through balls, Hearts’ best chances thereafter came late on but they were denied by a 'keeper in top form who pulled off some good saves.

Report & Observations

On a date in previous years where I've seen Rangers beaten by Malmo in the Champions League Qualifiers at Ibrox (2011), a tropical thunderstorm at Carrow Road (2006) and made a last-minute dash in a taxi across Prague to watch Sparta vs Steaua Bucharest (2016), it was nice to be in the more 'down to earth' surroundings of Ainslie Park for this Edinburgh Derby of a different kind.

Fresh from Saturday’s thumping win over Berwick Rangers in their Lowland League opener, it was no surprise that Steven Naismith named the same starting line-up and deployed the same 3-2-4-1 formation to begin with. Spartans, meanwhile, were looking for their first points of the season having been edged out 2-1 at Broomhill in their opening fixture.

After an even start both teams created an opening apiece within the space of less than 30 seconds. 

It was the hosts who had the first chance. Brad Whyte showed some good skill initially to get past Murray Thomas and having advanced into the area, Luke Rathie made an important block from the eventual shot. Hearts picked up the resulting loose ball and quickly sprung a counter-attack with Mac Tait floating a defence-splitting aerial pass for Bailey Dall to run onto. Tight to the byline, Dall centred the ball towards the penalty spot but it was just behind Jaden Ferguson and the Spartans defence were able to clear their lines.

Rathie then made another block two minute later as Spartans utilised their long-throw option two or three times in quick succession.

A blueprint of this Hearts team is their passing style and it was evidence in abundance from a very early stage - though there were a few occasions where one or two players were either caught in possession or loose with the ball. 

One such instance occurred on 22 minutes and it put Arron Darge under pressure but in a dangerous two-on-one in a deep area where if he'd lost possession it would have resulted in an almost certain chance, the skipper demonstrated excellent footwork and composure to get out of trouble and find Rathie with a pass. It was fine technique and applauded by the crowd who recognised the quality he'd shown.

Spartans were beginning to shade things ever so slightly by this point; picking up a few second balls and breaking forward whenever they could. They caught a quick glimpse of the target but Mikey Allan shanked a first-time volley harmlessly wide of Harry Stone's goal frame and the ball was never, ever troubling the 'keeper.

However, before the half-hour mark, it was 1-0.

Set-pieces were always going to play a big part in proceedings and when Rathie made contact with an opponent near the corner flag, it allowed the home player to go down. It was a cheap free-kick to concede and it proved costly as Gregor Woods subsequently floated his delivery towards the back-post area where a crowd of bodies went up to connect with the ball before it ricocheted off someone in a Maroon shirt and looped over Stone, stationed on the goal-line, and into the back of the net.

Buoyed by having gone ahead, Spartans soon enjoyed a five-minute or so spell of pressure where there were one or two lapses in concentration. The midfield runners were causing a few issues which meant the Jambos had to be particularly alert and aware of what was going on around them.

Another half-volley from Allan thankfully carried as much accuracy as his previous effort and when Harry Gordon was booked for a foul just inside the Spartans' half, the resulting ball into the box was met with a downward header which brought about some routine work for Stone.

Hearts then regrouped and ended the first 45 minutes on the front foot.

The lads were unfortunate not to break in-behind on a couple of occasions. Gordon and Tait developed a good understanding with some crossfield switches which opened up space whilst Aidan Denholm (a strong performer in last Saturday's win over Berwick) picked out the run of Bobby McLuckie with an excellent through ball but the linesman raised his flag to bring a premature end to that opening.

Connor Smith also put the ball in the net before the interval but the whistle had long since been blown for offside in that instance too.

No changes were made at half-time and the second half proved to be a similar story of good football and good intentions but frustration infront of the target as Spartans defended well and Hearts couldn't manage to get what would have been a well-earned equaliser.

An early free-kick by Smith didn't carry the same accuracy as his sublime strike against Berwick as it bounced straight through to the home 'keeper. He had the chance to unleash another effort from a similar distance (about 20-25 yards out) a few minutes later after Ferguson had pressed the 'keeper and Denholm was recklessly clattered into, but this time the last man on the wall got in the way and the danger came to pass.

Callum Sandilands' tactical introduction for Gordon on the hour mark led to a change in shape and, as the minutes passed and urgency grew, Hearts comfortably got on top and dominated.

McLuckie almost lived up to his name and got lucky with a speculative and dipping shot from the edge of the area which was tipped over by a nervous-looking 'keeper and although Spartans cleared their lines from the resulting corner, they were soon under the cosh again when a swift and sweeping move down the right culminated in Sandilands cutting the ball back for Denholm who shot into side netting from a tight angle.

Tait was then replaced by Makenzie Kirk on 69 minutes as Naisy sought to add more of an attacking threat.

One of the strongest points about the home team’s performance is that they kept Ferguson extremely quiet for large periods but when the attacker showed a good first touch and nimble technique to instinctively spin away from his man just inside the hosts half, he was scythed down by the Spartans skipper who was booked for the offence. He did win the ball but he followed through for sure.

Hearts were now dominant in possession but they remained frustrated as the Ainslie Park team defended in numbers and held their shape really well. Denholm, and then Ferguson, saw separate attempts blocked by defenders within the space of about 30 seconds; the latter firing a powerful drive goalwards which appeared to be blocked by a hand although nothing was forthcoming from the officials.

Denholm continued to be something of a driving force as the Jambos pressed hard and in his next involvement he sent a looping header onto the top of the goal net before there was a momentary worry up at the other end as Darge was required to defend well under pressure and communicate with Stone, heading the ball back to him, to prevent Spartans from getting a sight of goal.

One of the most farcical decisions I've ever witnessed then occurred with five minutes to go. 

As Hearts looked to spring a quick counter-attack through Denholm, the midfielder had his legs cynically taken from beneath him on the edge of his own area. The referee signaled for an advantage (fair enough) yet there wasn't one to be had because just three seconds later Kirk was flagged offside further down the pitch. Instead of pulling play back, the referee awarded Spartans a free-kick (for the offside) and when an understandably frustrated Denholm protested about it (without any bad language), he was booked for complaining. It was poor and petulant from the referee and most remarkably, nothing was said to the home player for the dangerous tackle in the first instance which wiped out the youngster!

McLuckie was told to get to his feet when he went down under a tackle inside the box during the last minute of normal time (which was questionable again by the referee!) and from a corner soon afterwards, Sandilands' deep cross beyond the back-post reached Dall who, leaning and stretching, wasn't able to get enough purchase on his header to properly test the Blair Carswell in the hosts' net.

Nonetheless, Carswell was twice tested prior to the full-time whistle. 

He showed superb agility in the first instance by producing a full-stretch diving save when a cross into the box was inadvertently knocked towards the top-left corner by one of his own defenders. From the second wave of play following the resulting corner, Smith unleashed a powerful effort which was heading towards the bottom corner only for Carswell to keep the ball out again.

Ultimately, Hearts couldn't get the equaliser that their undoubted efforts merited and they'll be left to rue the little bits and pieces (such as sloppiness in possession at times during the first half) which ended up being the difference between a draw and a defeat. But they can be proud of their efforts and how they more than matched a team who always compete at the top end of the Lowland League.

Special mentions must go to Arron Darge who was calm and composed for the second game running at the heart of the defence and impressed again, plus Aidan Denholm who became more and more influential as the game unfolded and shouldn't have been booked in a million years. Some of the through balls by Harry Gordon and Mac Tait were sublime at times; they showed decent intentions and on another occasion they might well have found themselves claiming an assist or two.

As Naisy said himself in his post-game interview, the younger lads in the team will have learned so much from this experience. Joining the Lowland League was always going to be about the development of players (especially those with no prior experience in men's football) and they'll get better with each matchday, undoubtedly learn 'on the job' and thus eradicate some of the errors which proved the difference this time around, and be in a stronger position for it by the end of the campaign.

Already they're setting good standards. That's something to be positive about and I've seen enough football over the years to know there's so much more that will come over the course of the season.

Credit to Spartans for their win. They were resolute, kept their shape and nullified Jaden Ferguson's threat to good effect (even if one or two tackles on him were a bit reckless at times) and it'll be interesting to see how they perform against the other 'B' teams in their upcoming fixtures.

I won't be at East Kilbride on Saturday (likely to be Brora Rangers vs Turriff United instead) and I may or may not be at the home game against Cowdenbeath next Wednesday, though it's my intention to get to some more 'B' team fixtures as the season progresses.

Team: Harry Stone, Arron Darge, Luke Rathie, Harry Gordon (Callum Sandilands), Bobby McLuckie, Murray Thomas, Mac Tait (Makenzie Kirk), Aidan Denholm, Bailey Dall, Jaden Ferguson, Connor Smith. Unused Subs: Kai Smutek, Harvey Chisholm, Liam McFarlane.

Next Up: Stirling University vs East Stirlingshire.