12th July 2019 Hearts v Dundee United 1-1 (Hearts won 5-3 on penalties)

First competitive match of the season and really looking forward to it. Left home at around 19.00 and walked down to Tynecastle arriving about 19.20. As the game is BetFred Cup match seasons tickets are not valid. I had however bought my ticket in advance and therefore did not have to wait in a queue at the ticket office before going through the turnstiles. Met a guy I know from seeing him at various matches around the country in the ground. He was telling me that next years "Groundhoppers Day" which allows fans to attend four matches in one day will cover games at Dalkeith Thistle, Easthouses Lily, Bonnyrigg  Rose and Newtongrange Star. These games are attended by fans across the UK who wish to visit new grounds however the snag for Hearts fans is that Hearts play Ross County at Tynecastle on the same day so no Groundhoppers Day for me.

Hearts fielded new signings Jamie Walker and Conor Washington which should mean a greater attacking threat than was shown last season. Craig Hackett is on the bench and final new signing Aidy White is not yet fit enough for a competitive start. Steven Naismith will, it is said, will sign his Hearts contract on 1st August. His contract at Norwich expired on 30 June and he will be paid a further month's salary rumoured to be in the region of £160,000 if he is still a free agent on 31st July. To accommodate the new players Hearts have released Arnaud Djoum ( now with Al-Raed, Saudi Arabia), Marcus Godinho ( FSV Zwickau, Germany), Connor Sammon (Falkirk), Malauray Martin (contract cancelled early) and Aaron Hughes (retired). Dundee United are managed by former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson and included ex-Hearts players Liam Smith and Adam King in there squad. They also included Laurence Shankland in their starting line-up. Shankland has played for Ayr United in the last two seasons and scored 60 plus goals in seventy odd games. Hearts and a number of other clubs both north and south of the Border were interested him when his Ayr contract expired but he has opted to join United.

Walker was almost celebrating his return to Tynecastle with a goal after three minutes. A Hickey cross found him unmarked about eight yards from goal but his shot went past the far post. There was a suspicion of offside but the referee awarded a goal-kick to restart the game. United took the lead after nine minutes when Sam Stanton picked up a clearing header from Chrispohe Berra and powered into the Hearts penalty box. His cross was heading home in the six yard box by a diving Shankland with Bobby Zlamal, expecting a shot, wrong-footed. Hearts continued to press forward and Walker sent Washington free on the edge of the penalty box with a back-heel. The striker raced forward but dragged his shot wide. Uche Ikpeazu then sent Walker through one on one against keeper Benjamin Siegrist but he shot straight at the goalie. Hearts equalised just before half-time after foul on Washington outside the box on the right hand side. Sean Clare hit a poor free-kick which was headed clear by the United defence to Andy Irving on the edge of the area. The midfielder, in the side due to Peter Haring's continued injury absence, hit a first time shot low into the corner of the net giving Siegrist no chance. By this time the rain was coming down in sheets making conditions difficult for the players and Irving did well to control his shot in the downpour. 

United had an early chance in the second half when Stanton blasted the ball over the bar when  left unmarked in the penalty box before Hearts again took control. Ikpeazu Had hearts first shot on goal in the second half when he turned his marker on the edge of the box but his shot was straight at the keeper. I was not convinced about Ikpeazu tonight. He was using his strength to get past defenders but then either fell in a vain attempt for a free-kick or his pass was unable to reach a team-mate. He also seemed to be lacking bit of fitness as he was not chasing back or moving quickly to prevent defenders playing the ball. We shall see if he gets better with greater match fitness. In seventy-five minutes Nicky Clark missed an open goal for United when the ball fell to him in the centre of the box in front of goal. His chipped shot beat the stranded Zlamal but went post the post with the aid of a deflection for a fruitless corner. Hearts best chance came when a Clare corner was nodded on by Berra at the near post but substitute Dario Zanatta could only head post the post. Hearts then went down to ten men when Irving slipped track-backing and handled the ball prevent Clark having a clear run in on goal. Clark then tripped over the fallen Irving so I am not sure if the sending off was for deliberate handball or preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity or maybe even a combination of both. United had more of the ball after this but were unable to make any clear chances as Hearts held on. Under the Betfred Cup rules the tie then went to a penalty shoot-out to decide who would gain a bonus point. Hearts won the toss and took the first kick. All five Hearts penalties were scored through Clare, Oliver Bozanic, Michael Smith, Washington and John Souttar. The only one which the United keeper got close too was Washington's left footed effort. The ball however had enough height to beat Siegrist's despairing dive. Clark's first penalty for United was pushed away by Zlamal and while the next two were scored there was no need to take the final kick with hearts winning the shoot-out 5-3.

The rain had stopped by the time the game ended and I walked home happy with the Hearts performance and sure the as the team gains more match fitness the goals will come. I arrived home in time to take the dog for a walk.

Teams

Hearts: Zlamal, M. Smith, Souttar, Berra, Clare, Washington, Walker, Mulraney), Ikpeazu , Irving, Hickey. 

Subs: Zanatta, McDonald, Bozanic.

Dundee United: Siegrist, L. Smith, Sporle (Butcher, 46'), Connolly, Reynolds, McMullan, Clark, Stanton, Robson, Bouhenna, Shankland. 

Subs: Butcher, Appere, Banks.