The Wee Jambos produced an impressive comeback performance to claim victory after falling behind against the University side on a bitterly cold night in Pilton.
Hearts started brightly and were on the front foot from the opening exchanges. Inside eight minutes, Jaedon Donkor was released down the right and fired in a low cross that Connor Dow met at the near post, but his effort drifted narrowly wide. Donkor continued to be a constant threat, again beating his man on 14 minutes, before reaching the byline, though his teasing delivery just evaded Dow.
Despite the scoreline remaining level, the Wee Jambos looked dangerous every time they went forward. The pressure continued as Tommy North and Dow combined well down the left on 20 minutes, only for Dow to lift his shot over the bar. Two minutes later, Liam Walker’s free kick from 20 yards was struck straight at Alex Sutherland in the Uni goal.
However, the Uni almost broke the deadlock on 29 minutes when Finlay Moffett weaved past several challenges before unleashing a shot from the edge of the area, forcing McDonald to push the shot away low to his left.
At the other end moments later, Donkor was again involved, skipping past several defenders before seeing his shot beaten away by Alex Sutherland. Further chances followed as Lucas Smith found North free in the box on 37 minutes, but Sutherland was again equal to it, blocking the effort at close range.
Against the run of play, the students took the lead three minutes before the break. Jay Burns’ shot from the edge of the area which McDonald got down to but couldn’t hold, and Archie Gibson reacted quickest to smash the rebound into the roof of the net, sending the students in at half-time with a 1–0 advantage.
The Wee Jambos responded positively after the interval and were rewarded nine minutes into the second half. Aiden Haddow showed neat footwork on the edge of the box before slipping in Dow, whose effort took a deflection that wrong-footed Sutherland to bring Hearts level.
The turnaround was completed on 63 minutes. Haddow again played a key role, working the ball out to Donkor, who drove to the bye line and cut the ball back for North to convert from close range.
Hearts continued to look the more likely side, with Dow later lofting an effort over after being picked out by a superb cross-field pass from Smith. Chances gradually dried up as the match wore on, and although the students applied late pressure — including a lengthy ten minutes of added time — the Wee Jambos defended resolutely to see out a deserved win.
Hearts: McDonald, Lister, Smith, Osborne, Dow (Robb 87), Haddow, Glasgow, S.Wilson, Walker (Sanders 75), Donkor (Crookston 90+3), North. Subs: Lyon, Crookston, Sanders, Kelly, Robb
University of Stirling: Sutherland, Ledingham, Blane, Laird, Gibson, Trotter, Burns, Brown, Martin, Jeanes, Moffett. Subs: Muir, Walker, Lyon, Hea, Fasano-Barton.
By Graeme McGinty
