Bamber Bridge (Reserves) 0-3 Hearts B

Bamber Bridge (Reserves) 0-3 Hearts B

Pre-Season Friendly

Sunday 21st July 2024

Over the past few years, it’s often been a pleasure to watch the Hearts B Team and this is one of those games which I’m so pleased I made the decision to go to because the lads were absolutely dominant, looked class in periods, and played some quality football in this 3-0 win over Bamber Bridge Reserves.

It was so good to watch!

Going into this game with four pre-season wins out of four - those being a 10-0 success at Vale Of Leithen, that 5-2 victory over Kelty Hearts (undoubtedly the highlight), a 3-1 triumph at Whitehall Welfare and then Friday’s behind-closed-doors 2-1 success over Burnley U21s, there was never really a doubt that the boys in maroon would complete a 100% pre-season campaign and win this game once they went ahead thanks to Mack Ross’ goal on the half-hour mark.

It’s a game Mack Ross will remember for years because he actually put the ball in the net five times in total (albeit three were ruled out for offside) on an afternoon when the flag was raised so many times it felt unbelievable. Thankfully though two counted. 

Matty Gillies scored the other with a goal that was genuinely the best I’ve seen anywhere up to now this season (apparently it was a carbon copy of his finish against Kelty Hearts). Dom Plank was brilliant, and watching him play for the first time; what a phenomenal player he looks - such a good first impression and I can’t speak highly enough of how stylish and smooth he was in just making things look effortless. Superb!

Adam Forrester was class and offered lots of quality on the overlap and with the ball at his feet, Kai Smutek (or ‘Kia’ according to the kid on the PA system) was tidy at the back and distributed the ball well - showing good technique, Charlie Sanders and Callen Robb were both good when they came on in the second half, Owen Muirhead did some good things really well and used his physique well (positive and noticeable and appreciate that), the No.16 put a shift in and won the penalty, Ryan Duncan nearly scored, Bobby McLuckie got an assist (as he often does), Lucas Smith got more involved as things progressed, there were clean-sheets for the two ‘keepers who featured, and just right throughout the team there was an evident enthusiasm with how the lads set about stuff, there was a flair, there was a style, the shielding of the ball in tight spaces and under pressure was impressive at times, the pressing was good, the ball movement, rotations, player-movement, work-rate and effortlessness of it all was of a very high standard and the boys were comfortably the best team.

With this being Bamber Bridge’s newly-formed ‘Reserves’ I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I rocked up at Irongate (or the SFC Stadium as it’s officially called nowadays) but from the first few minutes of the game, the Wee Jambos looked good as they set about their business.

Dom Plank immediately caught the eye with his drive down the right flank and willingness to take on (and often beat) his man, plus his touch and movement and technique which was very impressive. He looked stylish and silky and he had Hearts first chance with a shot that he whipped just over the upright, before a second attempt drew a save from the Bamber Bridge ‘keeper a few minutes later.

Plank’s link-up play with Adam Forrester, donning the captain’s armband and constantly overlapping and posing a threat down the right-hand side, was of a really high standard and the understanding between the pair looks good already.

And having had lots of early possession, the boys finally thought they’d made a breakthrough on the quarter-hour mark when Matty Gillies (who also shielded the ball impressively at times amongst all the other things) slotted a delightful low pass through to Mack Ross who looked to have timed his run well before he dinked the ball over the ‘keeper, but just as he was about to celebrate, he spotted the flag. 

Offside. No Goal… and something that would become an all too familiar story as the afternoon progressed.

After more pressure and intensity and positive play inside Bamber Bridge’s half - with several players getting on the ball and showing what they can do, Mack Ross then put the ball in the net for the second time around 10 minutes later; Adam Forrester’s dazzling footwork being the architect but, again, the flag was up for offside! 

Bamber Bridge didn’t offer too much at the other end which tested Hearts’ trialist ‘keeper - albeit there was a scary moment when a long-throw into the box was flicked on and had to be scrambled away, but it didn’t remain 0-0 for much longer after that as just before the half-hour mark the opening goal came as Bobby McLuckie did well on the left and cut the ball back perfectly from inside the box for Mack Ross (way behind the defenders this time) who slammed his shot past the ‘keeper and into the net for a very tidy finish.

Now FINALLY ahead, the goal gave Hearts even more confidence as they pressed for a second. Matty Gillies nearly got in-behind when he timed his run well but a ball over the top just ran through to the ‘keeper as he attempted to chase it down, Mack Ross was denied after the ‘keeper came outside his area and blocked a shot with his body in a one-on-one (not sure who put the ball through but what a great and intelligent ball that was), chief tormentor Dom Plank continued to look a major threat and the right and had a couple of efforts as well.

You sensed a second goal was coming and when it did happen, WHAT A GOAL it was!

Step-forward Matty Gillies… because with Bamber Bridge on the back foot, the big man got the ball about 30 yards in a central position, initially beat his man, carried it a few yards, then knocked it past another to open up a shooting angle from about 20 yards.

I could see him getting excited because the opportunity was very much there for him to put his foot through one and absolutely smash the ball. You knew he was going to let fly (and I’ve got to admit that I was fearing poor old Rita in the clubhouse behind the goal was potentially about to get walloped), but I shouldn’t have been concerned because Matty Gillies’ strike was as sumptuous as it was stylish as it was superb. The ball flew at bullet speed, ricocheted off the right-hand post and into the opposite corner and the quality of it was absolutely phenomenal.

So good. So impressive. Worth every bit of the praise and as he turned away and raised his chest, you knew he was buzzing with himself for what he’d just produced and very, very proud of it too. What. A. Goal. And what technique by the big lad!

That strike by Matty Gillies proved to be more or less his last contribution because he came off at half-time along with Owen Muirhead, which started the process of getting minutes into those players who’d been named amongst the substitutes and they were drip-fed into proceedings throughout the second period.

Initially after the re-start, Bamber Bridge had a spell where they posed a few questions and gave Hearts’ trialist ‘keeper some work to do, but by the hour mark Hearts had settled themselves down a bit and found their rhythm again with Ryan Duncan going close with a free-kick that needed to be tipped over before another shot (can’t recall who from) also forced the home ‘keeper into another save.

Dom Plank was still on the pitch at this point; strutting around stylishly and causing all kinds of problems for Bamber Bridge with his sharpness and before he was replaced by Callum Sandilands, he nearly made it 3-0 when he nicked the ball off a defender who was sliding in on the edge of his own box, got it out of his feet quickly and very instinctively unleashed a delicious dink that clipped the crossbar and bounced back into play. So unlucky. Mack Ross was on hand to head home the rebound but, yet again, the flag was up and the goal wouldn’t count… thus completing his hat-trick of disallowed goals.

Luckily for Mack Ross, he did score another ‘legitimate’ goal before the afternoon was up. 

Hearts No.16 (listed as a trialist on the team-sheet but who I think might have been Henry Lister who was announced as a signing a month ago) was fouled inside the box as he looked to unleash a shot from close to the byline. A definite penalty and as Callum Sandilands stepped forward, then possibly had flashbacks to that cup game at Brechin City last year, he left the spot-kick duties to Mack Ross who sent the ‘keeper the opposite way.

Hearts had other opportunities to add more goals. Charlie Sanders was decent when he came on by adding guile and quality and he went close as the ‘keeper was forced into a save in injury-time, but 3-0 is ultimately what it ended up.

The result was thoroughly deserved and as I said right at the start of this piece, I’m so glad I made the decision to go to this game, because the enthusiasm, the quality, the willingness from so many players to be positive and get at people, the ball-movement and lots of little good facets, it was so refreshing - and playing like this it’s no surprise the boys have got a 100% record in pre-season with five wins from five and 23 goals scored in the process.

A special mention again for Dom Plank because that was genuinely the best first-impression I’ve had watching a Hearts player at B Team/Youth level since Callum Sandilands bossed a game in the Scottish Youth Cup in 2021 when the U18s popped East Kilbride. So many good things about Dom’s game; so stylish and tidy with such a desire to take people on that stood out a mile, and if he keeps playing like that every week then he’s going to be a fantastic addition to the squad.

Genuinely a privilege to watch him, be able to witness that goal from Matty Gillies too (and he’ll still be grinning about it now), watch Adam Forrester who was really decent, and also be able to store this one in the memory bank and remind Mack Ross about it in a few years when he’s having his career. He deserved a hat-trick… just not a hat-trick of disallowed goals. At least one of them must have been onside (and the linesmen were raising their flags regularly) but you couldn’t fault how clinical he was in actually putting the ball in the net anyway.

So well done again lads! I’ll get to as many games as I can get to this season; not always easy living down south, but keep playing with such style and you’ll go far.

A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and a pleasure to relive the game in writing this piece too.

Team: Trialist, Lucas Smith, Kai (not Kia) Smutek, Bobby McLuckie, Ryan Duncan, Dom Plank, Matty Gillies, Mack Ross, Trialist, Adam Forrester, Owen Muirhead. Subs: Jack Lyon, Kenzi Nair, Callum Sandilands, Gregor Crookston, Luke Rathie, Alfie Osborne, Callen Robb, Charlie Sanders.