B Team: Wee Jambos hit students for nine

12 May 2022

Steven Naismith made four changes to the side beaten by Stirling University with the welcome return of captain Arron Darge and midfielder Aidan Denholm following their first team adventures last weekend. Harry Stone replaced Liam McFarlane between the sticks and Kenzi Nair replaced the suspended Adam Forrester in defence.
 
The Wee Jambos dominated the early stages and were seeing plenty of possession without testing the uni goal too much, however the opening goal did arrive after 19 minutes.
 
In a sign of things to come, Bobby McLuckie raced down the left wing and was able to loft the ball over Cameron Quate in the uni goal to open the scoring.
 
Just five minutes later, Hearts doubled their lead. This time progress was made down the right wing by Murray Thomas, he found Makenzie Kirk at the back post and although Quate denied him with a smart stop, he could do nothing to thwart Callum Sandilands on the rebound.
 
The men in maroon continued to knock the ball around the Peffermill pitch with considerable ease and the third goal arrived five minutes from the interval. A short free kick was laid off to Sandilands and he whipped a beautiful strike into the top corner to put Hearts on easy street.
 
The fourth arrived in the final minute of the first half and McLuckie joined Sandilands with a brace of his own. This was more of a team goal, as Sandilands lofted the ball over the top for Kirk and he squared it for McLuckie who was waiting at the back post to tap home.
 
Into the second half and the scoring continued. Sandilands grabbed his hat-trick just five minutes into the second half. The forward was the sharpest player in the penalty box and his front post run was perfect to meet McLuckie’s cross and add the fifth.
 
The sixth goal arrived after 72 minutes courtesy of substitute Callum Hambrook. McLuckie was enjoying himself down the left and he again was at the heart of move. The defence simply couldn’t live with him and when his shot was saved, Hambrook was waiting to tap home.  
 
Harry Stone was having a quiet afternoon but did well to deny David Maskrey from the penalty spot and keep his clean sheet intact after Luke Rathie was adjudged to have fouled his man.
 
McLuckie would’ve been desperate to fight over the match ball with his teammate Sandilands and they’ll also be arguing about who’s goal was better after McLuckie sealed his hat-trick in fine fashion. Receiving a pass on the right, he got the ball out from underneath him and curled the ball expertly into the top corner to make it 7-0.
 
Another substitute was on hand to add the eighth goal of the afternoon seven minutes from time. Again, it came from the Wee Jambos being first to the second ball and this time it was Ryan Duncan on hand to fire home from close range after a good initial save from Quate.
 
The ninth arrived in stoppage time and again it came after good work from McLuckie on the wing. His low cross-left Harry Gordon with a simple tap in to round off the action.
 
EUAFC: Quate, Crichton, Hamilton, Mail, Ward, Murray, Gray, Lawton, Foster, Maskrey, Anderson
 
Subs: Paton, Almass, McDonald, Clark, Taylor, Matthew
 
Hearts: Stone, Darge ©, Denholm (Duncan, 76), Kirk (Ross, 76), Thomas (Tait 63’), Gordon, Drysdale, Rathie, Sandilands (Hambrook, 70), McLuckie, Nair (Friel, 76)
 
Subs: McFarlane, Tait, Duncan, Hambrook, Ross, Crookston, Friel
 

All images courtesy of William McGillivray