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Scotsman
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts report and player ratings v Dumbarton: New signing debuts, injury and Premier Sports Cup seeding
Hearts coasted into the Premier Sports Cup knockout phase with four wins from four group matches after beating Dumbarton. A 4-0 result at Tynecastle Park took the Edinburgh club through after previous Group E victories against Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical and Stirling Albion. The final round of group ties take place this weekend so Hearts must wait to confirm if they have earned a seeding place for the last-16. However, 12 points from 12 and a goal difference of plus-15 means they are highly likely to be one of eight seeded sides in Sunday's draw. Their scoring form has been notable throughout this League Cup section with four goals registered against every opponent. An injury to centre-back Frankie Kent was the only negative on a balmy summer's evening in Gorgie. With midfielder Beni Baningime and right-back Christian Borchgrevink already sidelined, another fitness issue is something McInnes could have done without. Lawrence Shankland, Michael Steiwender Alexandros Kyziridis and Claudio Braga scored to complete a resounding month for Hearts under new management. There was also a debut for new Albanian winger Sabah Kerjota, who completed his move to Scotland from Italian Seie C side Sambenedettese on Tuesday. Head coach Derek McInnes has instilled an attacking mindset with goals from various areas of the team. A more stern examination of their credentials will come in the opening Premiership match against Aberdeen a week on Monday, but Hearts are certainly playing with confidence under McInnes. League Two Dumbarton arrived at their Premiership hosts knowing they were already eliminated from this tournament. As expected, Hearts dominated possession and hemmed the visitors in their own half when play commenced. They were playing a new 3-4-1-2 system with midfielders Sander Kartum and Blair Spittal as wing-backs. It took less than 17 minutes for a breakthrough when Stephen Kingsley found space for a precise deep cross which Shankland stooped to head past the Dumbarton goalkeeper Shay Kelly. Frankie Kent would have made it 2-0 but miscued his effort following a corner, allowing Kelly to save on the goal line. As home pressure continued, albeit in a fairly languid opening period, Dumbarton centre-backs Mark Durnan and Morgyn Neill found themselves repeatedly heading balls clear inside their own penalty area. The part-time side did break forward just before half-time for a 25-yard attempt by midfielder Scott Honeyman which Hearts goalkeeper Ryan Fulton held. Hearts made time for a second goal just before the interval. Kartum's corner landed near the six-yard line and Steinwender appeared to get a touch to force it over the goal line. If that should have made the locals more comfortable, the away side had other ideas when play restarted as Scott Tomlinson drifted inside from the right to shoot against the crossbar. Normal service was resumed on 52 minutes, though, when substitute Kyziridis exchanged passes with Shankland and meandered through the visiting defence to prod the third goal into the far corner of Kelly's net. McInnes had reverted to a more orthodox 4-4-2 set-up for the second half, which suited Spittal as he became a wide-left midfielder again. His exquisite reverse pass through to James Wilson 66 minutes created a clear opening for the teenager, but he lingered too long and Docherty recovered with a challenge to stifle the opportunity. Hearts' fourth goal did arrive after 72 minutes and again Kyziridis was involved. His well-timed pass allowed Cammy Devlin to cut the ball back from the touchline and give Braga a straightforward close-range finish. Kerjota entered the fray to loud applause and, although not fully fit, will have appreciated the opportunity of a Tynecastle bow. He wanted to get involved in front of a new group of fans, but the sight of Kent going off injured on 85 minutes was a concern. He appeared to tweak a groin and was replaced quickly by Stuart Findlay. Here are the Hearts player ratings from Tynecastle: 1 . GK: Ryan Fulton 6/10 One save in the first half from Honeyman, saw the ball rattle his bar from Tomlinson after the break. | SNS Group Photo Sales 2 . RCB: Michael Steinwender 8/10 A good 90 minutes for the Austrian who didn't put a foot wrong and claimed the second goal. | SNS Group Photo Sales 3 . CB: Frankie Kent 7/10 Strolled through the night in defence and was always a threat at set-pieces. | SNS Group Photo Sales 4 . LCB: Stephen Kingsley 8/10 Fine assist for the opening goal. Got forward repeatedly to angle dangerous crosses into the Dumbarton box. Needed the game time. | SNS Group Photo Sales
Daily Record
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Stirling boss finds the positives for group stage finale after Hearts rout
The final game of the group stage in the Premier Sports Cup awaits against Dunfermline Athletic - as the Binos look for some momentum ahead of the League Two curtain-raiser. Stirling Albion boss Alan Maybury admits his side were on the end of a harsh lesson as Hearts swept to victory in front of the TV cameras, but he believes lessons can be taken as the league kick-off looms. The Binos were never in the game against Derek McInnes's slick Jambos, with three first-half goals putting an end to the contest before a second of the game for Craig Halkett sealed a comfortable 4-0 winning margin for Hearts. It leaves Stirling pointless after their opening trio of games in Premier Sports Cup Group E ahead of Saturday's trip to Dunfermline Athletic to round out their group campaign. Dubliner Maybury - who turned out 112 times for the Gorgie club in his playing career - bemoaned his side's lack of positivity in a first half display where they barely moved up the pitch. But he said their second-half improvement gives some hopeful points for the weeks and months ahead. Maybury said: 'You're fearing the worst in the first half when they were playing really well; it was another change in shape which maybe didn't help and opened up some gaps but we quickly went back to what we normally do. 'They got their tails up and you're hoping to catch them on a bad day, but they've got the new manager to impress and we felt their pressure in the first half. 'We tried to be positive in the second half and where we were a little cautious in the first half, we managed to get our shape a little better and frustrate things. 'We're in a game we're not going to win by that stage, but we'll learn more from that second half than we will most games in the season. 'Hearts hemmed us in, but we gave away three goals from set pieces today which are preventable, giving the ball away in the middle of the pitch and that is punished as well so those are things we need to be better at. 'They can say they took the foot off the gas off the second half - and I'd probably agree - but I'm more concerned with my own team having a better mentality and trying to be positive.' Albion once again rotated their side for the contest as the search for valuable minutes in the legs ahead of the season opener at Edinburgh City on August 2 appears on the horizon. The Stirling gaffer hopes playing against a top side which includes several Scotland internationals will offer key points to learn from for some of the Binos' young talents - including midfielder Cooper Knox, who started the match. Maybury added: 'It will be a valuable lesson for the young boys in particular; a top team who don't take too many touches, move it quick and physically stronger, there are so many things to be learned and it's nothing complicated, doing the simple things well every time. 'I recognise my goalkeeper played well and they could have scored more goals, but we let in preventable goals and that's what we want to take out of these games if we're not winning them, playing in the manner we want to and you could see that in the second half.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Dumbarton v Dunfermline Athletic
Update: Date: 90'+3 Title: Post Content: Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 4. Update: Date: 90'+3 Title: Full Time Content: Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 4. Update: Date: 90'+2 Title: Post Content: Attempt missed. Andrew Tod (Dunfermline Athletic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Update: Date: 90'+2 Title: Post Content: Delay over. They are ready to continue. Update: Date: 90'+1 Title: Post Content: Delay in match because of an injury Andrew Tod (Dunfermline Athletic). Update: Date: 90'+1 Title: Post Content: Fourth official has announced 2 minutes of added time. Update: Date: 90' Title: Post Content: Keith Bray (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Update: Date: 90' Title: Post Content: Foul by Mark Durnan (Dumbarton). Update: Date: 89' Title: Booking Content: Thomas Falconer (Dumbarton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Update: Date: 89' Title: Post Content: Andrew Tod (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Update: Date: 89' Title: Post Content: Foul by Thomas Falconer (Dumbarton). Update: Date: 87' Title: Post Content: Alfons Amade (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Update: Date: 87' Title: Post Content: Foul by Aron Lynas (Dumbarton). Update: Date: 84' Title: Post Content: Andrew Tod (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Update: Date: 84' Title: Post Content: Foul by Carrick McEvoy (Dumbarton). Update: Date: 83' Title: Post Content: Attempt missed. Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (Dunfermline Athletic) header from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner. Update: Date: 83' Title: Post Content: Corner,Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Thomas Falconer. Update: Date: 81' Title: Post Content: Delay over. They are ready to continue. Update: Date: 80' Title: Post Content: Delay in match because of an injury Josh Cooper (Dunfermline Athletic). Update: Date: 80' Title: Post Content: Foul by Kai Kirkpatrick (Dumbarton).
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
New-look Hearts: The identity, the tactics, the constants and the maverick
Plenty to learn ahead of the 2025/26 SPFL season Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Two games under Derek McInnes and there is already a clear identity about this new-look Hearts team. Anyone watching the Premier Sports Cup group matches against Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Academical would have noticed common themes and a few variables for season 2025/26. Far from the finished article and with more transfers to come, the direction McInnes is taking Hearts seems quite obvious. Beating Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Academical 4-1 and 4-0 respectively in the first two competitive fixtures prompts natural excitement at the team's goalscoring exploits, but also caution that these are lower-league opponents. What we have learned is that McInnes wants Hearts to attack, almost relentlessly, and press opponents back in their own half with some proper hustling tactics. All of which augurs well for high-intensity Premiership games starting next month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad By then, the head coach will be even clearer in his mind regarding who his starting mainstays should be and what formation works best. There are some signs from pre-season friendlies and the two Premier Sports ties indicating what Hearts fans can expect over the weeks and months ahead. Firstly, Stuart Findlay will play when fit. The central defender is a trusted lieutenant of McInnes from their time at Kilmarnock and marked his debut in maroon with a goal against Hamilton. He missed the Dunfermline match through suspension and was instantly given a start against Accies, underlining his importance to the manager. He is comfortable in a four and three-man defence and offers a goal threat at set-plays. He will have a big part to play in Hearts' campaign. Craig Halkett and Frankie Kent are competing to partner him along with Michael Steinwender and Stephen Kingsley - and three centre-backs will be used at times. New right-back Christian Borchgrevink is more adept attacking than defending. He suffered an injury late on against Hamilton after his earlier run and cross provided Elton Kabangu with a simple chance to score the second goal. He played wing-back on Tuesday but can be exposed at full-back. Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee was deployed at right-back in a back four against Dunfermline with Borchgrevink on the bench, so the Norwegian's starting slot is far from guaranteed. Contrast that with Harry Milne on the opposite flank. The left-back Hearts signed from Partick Thistle in January is developing into a useful asset with two assists in two games. His corner allowed Stephen Kingsley to score the fourth against Dunfermline, and on Tuesday night his low cross provided Claudio Braga's opportunity for a first goal in maroon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Other things to expect from McInnes' Hearts include McEntee in midfield rather than full-back. The manager recognises that is his favoured position. Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin, Calem Nieuwenhof and Blair Spittal will compete for the central slots, with Baningime favourite to be the anchor man. Teenage striker James Wilson continues to impress and will start games regularly. His movement and intelligence are not lost on McInnes or coaches Paul Sheerin and Alan Archibald. As one would imagine, captain Lawrence Shankland will also be on the teamsheet when fit after Tynecastle officials made him their highest-paid player on a new three-year contract this month. Which brings us to Claudio Braga, the Portuguese forward already revelling in the role of maverick in this new Hearts side. His performances on Saturday and Tuesday suggest he is far more effective and comfortable in a forward role than wide on the left. His work rate is impressive but there is strong technical ability within the 25-year-old, plus a desire to create and score. He also loves to entertain and enjoys supporters' adulation. A Gorgie cult hero in the making, you might say. Hearts transfers - Chesnokov, Kerjota, Kabore and perhaps more signings Greek winger Alexandros Kyziridis has yet to appear yet after a niggling injury. He will bring direct running, dribbling and goalscoring ability but how much game time he gets remains to be seen. The imminent arrivals of Sabah Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore will increase competition for places out wide. Then there's the possibility - slim, as things stand - of Islam Chesnokov arriving before the transfer window closes. A surplus of wingers might tempt McInnes to use a 4-4-2 system, or even a 4-3-3, more often this season. What his Hearts team will be is flexible; able to flip formation during games. He will use a 3-5-2 for certain games and tried it out to good effect against Hamilton. Wide players will occasionally be used as wing-backs, as Alan Forrest was on Tuesday. See Danny Armstrong at Kilmarnock and Jonny Hayes at Aberdeen when McInnes was in charge. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's also fairly obvious which players are not quoted. Norwegian midfielder Sander Kartum, Spanish forward Musa Drammeh and young Scottish defender Adam Forrester were not stripped for any of Hearts' opening two games. Forrester is a youth academy graduate who could be loaned out before the transfer window closes. Kartum and Drammeh may need to leave if they want regular first-team football. McInnes can't afford to let emotions cloud his judgment as Hearts head coach. He needs players he can trust to earn results which can restore the Edinburgh club to a challenging position. Fans demand better than last season's seventh place and the management team have underlined their desire to win at Tynecastle. Inevitably, some players will be cut adrift as the new gameplan takes shape. There will likely be one or two more incomings as well. The manager hopes he does not need to enter the transfer market for another goalkeeper, but admitted he cannot entirely rule it out. Craig Gordon is injured and Zander Clark has barely played in the last year. 'It's something that we might need to be aware of and be active on. I hope we don't. I hope Craig gets some good news and I hope Zander stays fit,' said McInnes last week. He is a huge believer in passing forward. Even during pre-season training sessions at La Finca during a white-hot Spanish heatwave, he would celebrate goals scored from brave and incisive attacks. There is visible frustration in the technical area when a forward pass is on but not played. Likewise when a striker fails to hold possession or plays a slack lay-off with back to goal. The emphasis is very much on the final third, protecting the ball to create and score goals. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is all part of Hearts' new identity. Bigger tests than Dunfermline and Hamilton will come, but so far there is clear purpose. A desire to attack, go forward with speed, aggression, and a strong work ethic are clear from the first two games. It is a platform on which to build. The team is a long way from the finished article but these are the foundations for the season ahead. READ MORE: Hearts transfer update and a Ronaldo celebration
Edinburgh Reporter
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Braga looking to up his game in Gorgie
Claudio Braga admitted that his heartbeat increased after seeing the amount of fans in the stands at Tynecastle as he returned to the dressing room after Hearts' warm-up ahead of their Premier Sports Cup clash with Scottish Championship combine, Dunfermline Athletic, on Saturday. And the Portuguese-born forward (pictured left by Nigel Duncan) admitted that the 12,940 attendance was the largest he had ever played in front of in his professional career. Braga thoroughly enjoyed the Tynecastle experience and naturally hopes for more. Tonight (Tuesday, 19.45) Hearts are on their travels and visit Broadwood Stadium to face Scottish League One outfit, Hamilton Academical, who won their opening game 2-0 at Scottish League Two side Stirling Albion on Saturday. Naturally, the man who arrived from Norwegian football after a spell in the lower leagues in his native country, hopes to get the nod for a second time from head coach, Derek McInnes, who admitted recently that the player was one of the top targets for the Tynecastle team. McInnes was impressed with Baga's attitude and his determination to improve, and the player is impressed with what he has seen of the former Kilmarnock and Aberdeen boss. Braga said: 'He is a great guy, and I am not just saying this for you (the media). He can tell the message in a good way.' The affable player is also impressed with what he has seen of teenage striker James Wilson. Braga said: 'He has achieved a lot for his age, but he's a humble guy and I'm looking forward to keep working with him.' And Braga is under no illusions about the challenges which lie ahead. He faces stiff competition for a place in the starting line-up, despite arriving in Gorgie with a three-year contract and a good scoring record. The fans got their first site of the newcomer on Saturday, and he showed some touches in the 4-1 win, starting on the left side of the Tynecastle team, and then, after instructions from McInnes, moving more into the centre of the pitch. Braga expected it to be physical in Scotland and it was on Saturday against Neil Lennon's side, but Braga feels that Hearts have a quality squad. The 25-year-old, signed from Norwegian First Division football, where attendances only reach around 10,000 fans, added: 'Saturday was just the beginning. It was hard. It was physical. That was what I was expecting and I need to adapt to the type of football I will be playing here.' It will be hard again against John Rankin's men at Broadwood and competition for a spot in the starting line-up could increase soon as Braga could be joined by two other newcomers this week. Albanian winger Saba Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore, a Burkina Faso international who has been playing in Estonia, are reported to be in Scotland's Capital and are said to be close to clinching deals. Like this: Like Related
