Hearts B were defeated 2-1 by Bonnyrigg Rose at home at The Vanloq Community Stadium- Ainslie Park on Friday night.
Alassan Jones put the visitors ahead in the first half before Connor Dow equalised for Hearts in the 54th minute. But a strike from Cameron Ross sealed the victory for Bonnyrigg, in what was a night to forget for the Wee Jambos.
Angus made two changes from the side that beat Celtic B 1-0 last weekend.
Mackenzie Ross and Kai Smutek replaced Owen Muirhead and Taylor Hogarth in the starting XI.
Storm Amy made its mark on the game as the high winds made it difficult for either side to create many clear cut chances and disrupted the flow of the match.
The Rose came forward in the 18th minute as Jay McGarva’s volley from outside the box flashed wide of the target.
The visitors threatened again on 29 minutes as the ball was whipped in from the left to the back post where striker Ross rose highest to head it, but his effort was straight at Hearts goalkeeper Lyndon Tas.
Bonnyrigg found the opener on 37 minutes. Alassan Jones drove forward to the edge of the box and hit a dipping strike on his right foot which swerved into the bottom right corner for 1-0.
The Jambos had a free kick at the edge of the area just before the break. Henry James stepped up and looked to place one on his left foot, but didn’t generate enough power to trouble Connelly in goal.
Half-time: Hearts 0-1 Bonnyrigg Rose
Hearts looked to hit the visitors back in the second 45.
They found their equaliser on 54 minutes as Henry James went on a fantastic run from deep within his own half and played a through ball to Connor Dow in the box who showed good composure to slot home into the bottom left corner for 1-1.
Despite finding the leveller, the visitors got themselves back in front on the hour mark.
Jones had his close range effort palmed away by Tas, which fell kindly for Cameron Ross who fired home on the follow-up for 2-1.
With 20 to go, skipper Kai Smutek fired the ball up field which caught out the Bonnyrigg defence as it reached substitute Callen Robb in the box. He hit one on his right foot but it hit the side netting.
The men in maroon huffed and puffed into the late stages of the match, but Bonnyrigg shut up shop and were resolute defensively to thwart a response from Hearts.
Ultimately, the visitors left Edinburgh with the victory on a disappointing evening for the Wee Jambos.
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website at full-time, Angus Beith said:
“I’m disappointed to lose the game. I think obviously the weather was always going to play a part today with the wind, it was going to make it challenging to play in. But actually for our boys, it's a really good experience to play in those conditions and to find a way to still stand out in the game that we might not be able to play. the way that we normally do.
“We might have to change how we go about our decision making in certain moments on the ball and have to defend certain situations a wee bit differently and be really switched on and focused to that. So I was delighted from that perspective that we got that challenge tonight, but disappointed probably with the amount of duels that we lost, second balls. We weren't anticipating as well as Bonnyrigg were and being ready and searching for opportunities or advantages off those second ball moments. which is disappointing for me.
“I felt like we let the game die out at the end instead of finding an advantage against your opponent to make the difference in the game. We just didn't do that, which is disappointing. But I repeat from what I said at the start, lots of good challenges tonight, tricky conditions, so hopefully good learning in that as well.
“It was a brilliant pass from Henry that set him up and Connor, something that we've been speaking with him on more regularly and doing videos, just being on the blind side of the defender and he did it really, really well. It was a terrific touch and finish, so I’m delighted for him that he scored.
“I just think, after that moment, it's an opportunity for us to build momentum and go for the throat. I just felt like we let the game pass us by after that, which is the real disappointing thing for me. Instead of getting a lift from that, because we didn't actually start setting off that well, we seemed to go in our shell, but just wait for things to happen instead of finding a way to go and make it happen.
“We've got another KDM game next week on Saturday against East Kilbride. We know they're a very, very good team from our games against last season and previous, but it’s a game that we're relishing. It may not be a game where they'll try and play their usual way and build out from the back and try and play through the third, so it’s a really good challenge for us to go and try and deal with that.”
Hearts: Tas, James (Radcliffe, 80’), Smutek ©, Smith, Osborne, Ross (Robb, 54’), Dow, Haddow (Banks, 80’), Glasgow (Burn, 65’), Wilson, North
Subs: MacDonald, Lyon, Radcliffe, Banks, Burn, Robb
Bonnyrigg Rose: Connelly, Laing, Martynuik ©, Somerville, McGarva, Jones, Ross, Currie, Dowling, Devine, Connolly
Subs: Anderson, Hoskins, Higginbotham, King, Hogg, Speirs, Bryce
