19th March 2022. Hearts 2 Livingston 0

 


Another game for Hearts in their bid to clinch third spot in the SPL. After a couple of scotch pies for lunch I left to head to Tynecastle at just before 14.00. I had. Even out for a long walk in the morning but wanted to increase my daily mileage so I walked along the canal towpath to Ogilvie Terrace then down to Gorgie Road rather than taking the direct route vIa Ardmillan Terrace. I arrived at the stadium around 14.30 and used my season ticket for entry. I was tempted to get another pie and a coffee but decided to head to my seat to watch the teams warming up.

Hearts made one change from the team that beat St.Mirren in the Cup last week. Aaron McEneff, the match winning substitute last week, came into the starting eleven to replace Ben Woodburn  who dropped to the bench. Josh Ginnelly and Alex Cochrane also returned to the bench following injury absences last week. Livingston we’re on their usual lines with ex-Hearts midfielder Jason Holt in midfield. Top scorer Bruce Anderson was missing due to injury with Joel Nouble starting up front in his absence. 

Hearts started the game ell and opened the scoring after three minutes Barrie McKay fed Liam Boyce on theft who fed it on to Ellis Simms breaking towards the byeline. His cross found Beni  Baningime sliding in at the far post to score. Baningime’s goals are a bit like buses, nothing for ages then two come along together.  Simms then forced a good save from Max Stryjek. again from a Boyce pass. Craig Halkett then had a shot at the far post deflected away for a corner as Hearts piled ion the pressure. After thirty-six minutes Hearts lost Baningime to injury after the appeared to land badly after hurdling a tackle. Cochrane came on at left-back with Andy Halliday moving forward into midfield. 

Livingston had done little in the first half and it as surprising when Alan Forrest forced a save from Craig Gordon early in the second. Twelve minutes into the half Hearts scored a second. A cross from Nat Atkinson on the right was blocked and deflected back to him. He then chipped the ball to the back post where McKay hit it on the  volley and curled it into the top corner of the net giving Stryjek no chance of making a save. This was McKay’s first goal for Hearts since joining the club in the August transfer window. Hearts were well in control of then game and made number of  substitutions to give a run to players who had been out with injuries. Just before the end of the match Andrew Shinnie forced Gordon into a save with his arm as the keeper came out to narrow the angle. A well deserved victory for Hearts against a Livingston side who, unlike St. Mirren last week, showed little ambition to Hearts.

I walked home happy with Hearts able to clinch third place in the SPL, and European football next season, before the league split depending on results elsewhere. I got home in time to watch the last ten minutes of the first half and then the second half of the Ireland v Scotland rugby match which ended in another disappointing defeat for the Scots. 



Teams
Hearts: Gordon, Atkinson, Halkett, Kingsley, Halliday, Baningime, Haring, McEneff, McKay, Boyce, Simms
Sub: Cochrane, Ginnelly, Woodburn, Moore, Sibbick

Livingston: Stryjek, Devlin, Fitzwater, Obileye, Pittman, Bailey,  Forrest,  Holt, Nboule, Penrice, Omeonga. 
Subs: Kelly, Soto, Shinnie, Lewis, 
Chukwuemkea

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