A second-half strike from Callum Sandilands was enough to see the Wee Jambos take all three points in a hard-fought encounter at Prestonfield.
Liam Fox made two changes to the side that defeated Broomhill midweek. Bobby McLuckie was on first team duty in Dingwall and was replaced by Mackenzie Ross, whereas Ryan Duncan missed out through injury and was replaced by Gus Stevenson.
It was a lively beginning with both sides flooding forward in numbers, whenever they got the chance, but it was Hearts who had the first opportunities of the afternoon, both of which fell to Murray Thomas inside four minutes.
Firstly, the Hearts number 11 latched on to a perfectly weighted pass in behind the Rose backline from Harry Gordon and forced a smart stop down low from Cameron Binnie.
Seconds later, Thomas was across the other side of the pitch, he was picked out by Bailey Dall, who had got to the byline down the left, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by a Rose shirt.
Up the other end, Rose were quick in getting the ball from back to front and Stevenson had to be alert to sweep up at the back as the hosts looked to threaten with a man advantage on the break.
Stevenson was involved up the other end on 17 minutes. It was strong ball-winning in the middle of the park from the Hearts number 12, he ran at the Rose backline, before firing a dipping shot at goal, which flew just over the bar.
Binnie was having a busy first half and he again denied the Wee Jambos with two quickfire stops just before the half hour mark. James Wilson was first to be thwarted after being sent clean through in behind, before beating away Thomas’ free kick a minute later.
The home side were still a threat themselves and went close 12 minutes before the break, when Paul Simpson cut off the right wing and forced Liam McFarlane into a smart stop at his near post.
The men in maroon would’ve been wondering how they hadn’t found the net as half-time ticked closer and two further chances came and went before the interval.
Firstly, Kai Smutek was denied by a point-blank save from Binnie after meeting a Thomas corner, before Wilson fired straight at the Rose stopper after Dall’s blocked shot fell into the striker’s path.
Half-time: Linlithgow Rose 0-0 Hearts B
Into the second half and Binnie continued to frustrate the men in maroon. Denying both Wilson and Ross in fine fashion in the opening minutes of the half.
At long last, seven minutes after the interval, the Wee Jambos got the lead they deserved. Ross galloped down the right and had the awareness to wait for Forrester, who was busting a gut to get round on the overlap. The right back crossed for Callum Sandilands, who took a brilliant first touch, before volleying low into the bottom corner.
Wilson should’ve doubled the lead shortly after. Gordon made ground down the right-wing, he floated a cross into the box for the striker, but he was up too early, and his looping header went just over.
After they’d got their goal, it was a more controlled performance from the Wee Jambos and barring a header from a corner midway through the half and a Conor McKenzie volley that was off target, the home side struggled to create many opportunities of their own for much of the match.
As the game entered the final ten minutes, Rose were throwing the kitchen sink at the Wee Jambos. Firstly, a quick free kick saw Laurie Devine force McFarlane into a smart stop down low, before the Hearts keeper produced an even better save to deny Devine on 85 minutes, a strong hand tipping his effort on to the crossbar and preserving Hearts’ advantage.
That was the last real action as the Wee Jambos saw out the remainder of the game to pick up another deserved three points.
Linlithgow Rose: Binnie, Thomson, Devine, McKenzie, Ogilvie ©, Sneddon, Simpson, Masson, Gillespie, Allan, Foster
Subs: McMinn, Thom, McMullan, Rae, Penman, McDowell, Maguire
Hearts: McFarlane, Dall, Wilson, Sandilands, Thomas (Smith, 85), Stevenson (Thompson, 89), Gordon, Ross (Crookston, 75), Forrester ©, Rathie, Smutek
Subs: McConnell, Hogarth, Crookston, Thompson, Smith, Robb
