
Match Report: Hamilton Accies 0-4 Hearts
15 July 2025Hearts made it two wins on the spin in Group E of the Premier Sports Cup, sweeping aside Hamilton Academical 4-0 at Broadwood Stadium.
A thumping header from Stuart Findlay and an Elton Kabangu tap in in the first 45 was followed by two sweet strikes from James Wilson and Claudio Braga.
Derek McInnes made seven changes for the trip to Broadwood, with Frankie Kent, Beni Baningime, Alan Forrest and James Wilson the only four to keep their place in the side following Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Dunfermline.
It took just five minutes for Hearts to make their mark in North Lanarkshire, taking the lead after five minutes via an in-swinging corner delivery from Blair Spittal which brought a thumping header from Stuart Findlay on his Hearts debut.
The Jambos went close soon after, Elton Kabangu seeing his effort from a tight angle saved before Calem Nieuwenhof's ranged attempt was pushed behind for a corner by Jamie Smith.
The men in maroon continued their front foot start, enjoying plenty of the ball, and Alan Forrest was unlucky to see his vicious strike coming in off the left flash just inches wide of the post.
After a blistering start, things settled down, and Hearts were still seeing plenty of the ball with little to show for their efforts - with Ryan Fulton so far untroubled between the posts on his first start of the season.
It seemed as though Hearts would have to settle for just one heading into the break, but the JTs struck right before the whistle to make it 2-0.
Some delightful passing play culminated in Christian Borchgrevink darting forward and slamming an inviting ball across goal, with Elton Kabangu there to apply a simple finish for his first of the season.
HT: Hamilton Accies 0-2 Heart of Midlothian
Hearts rang the changes twenty minutes into the second half; with Claudio Braga, Cammy Devlin, Harry Milne and Craig Halkett all introduced from the bench.
Just minutes on from his introduction, Claudio Braga had a big hand in Hearts' third goal. A lung bursting run from the Portuguese forward brought him to the byline - where he hammered an inviting ball into the path of James Wilson - with the young forward tapping home.
Ten minutes from time, Hearts went close again. Harry Milne presided over the free-kick 25 yards from goal on the far right hand side, but his powerful strike went past the post by a whisker.
After playing provider for Wilson's strike, Braga got in on the action himself after 83 minutes; steering a Milne delivery from the left into the bottom corner of the net via a defelction.
Hearts were home and hosed, and now look forward to Saturday's trip to Stirling Albion in our penultimate Premier Sports Cup match in Group E.
Hamilton: Smith, Trialist (Hendrie 58'), O’Hara (Eadie 89), Smith, Shaw, Bradley, Maguire (Morgan 45'), MacDonald, Robinson © (Carson 89'), Trialist, Gallacher
Subs: Morgan, McKinstry, Eadie, Hendrie, Carson, Marks
Hearts: Fulton, Kent ©, Baningime (Devlin 65'), Kabangu (Braga 65'), Nieuwenhof, Borchgrevink (McEntee 83'), Steinwender (Halkett 65'), Spittal, Forrest (Milne 65'), Findlay, Wilson
Subs: Clark, Halkett, Shankland, Braga, Devlin, Milne, Dhanda, McEntee, Kyziridis
Hearts Debuts: Stuart Findlay