Latest news with #Jambos
Scotsman
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Former Hearts and Middlesbrough star could make summer transfer after nightmare injury spell
The striker has Hearts, Middlesbrough, Cardiff City and more on his CV. 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... A former Hearts and Middlesbrough striker could make a summer transfer move - despite a memorable moment at the weekend. There are plenty of movers and shakers in the transfer market with former Jambos amongst them. One of them could be Uche Ikpeazu, who fired home a late winner for St Johnstone in their latest Premier Sports Cup group stage match, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 away win at Inverness CT. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Saints were relegated from the Premiership last season but Ikpeazu missed almost all of the campaign with injury, having been initially signed by Craig Levein, who he worked with at Hearts. The powerful forward spent between 2018-2020 at Tynecastle before moving to Wycombe Wanderers then Middlesbrough, before a stint in Turkey with Konyaspor, and Port Vale brought him to back to UK football two years ago. Uche Ikpeazu St Johnstone future latest Boss Simo Valakari told The Courier: 'I'm happy for big Uche. It has not been easy – he had not scored for a long time so I'm happy for him to get the winner. We still need to see his contract situation and how it is with him. He's still working with his fitness and we'll see how the situation is. I've not been playing him as much as he would have liked because we don't know if he will be with us or not. 'That's the situation. He knows as well. It's up to him. I want him here but it's up to him what he wants to do. Very early in the game, Inverness went to our goal and Toby Steward made a fantastic save that kept us in the game. That changed very much how the game could have gone. If we had gone 1-0 down after a couple of minutes, it would have been much more difficult. 'Some moments, we kind of lose our heads a little bit with new players – it's a new team. In difficult moments we are not that strong together yet but, as I said, I see in moments it is there. 'With the ball we will be much better and that's normal. 'You can't buy this work rate, you can't buy this attitude. We left the ego out. We knew that we needed to come here and do the ugly things right.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What was Uche Ikpeazu's injury? The striker had a knee injury with several complications that meant his St Johnstone debut did not come until April this year. Ikpeazu said at the time of the nightmare scenario: 'Some days you come in and think: 'Where do I go from here?' The club sorted me out to see Dr Iain Murray in Edinburgh and he analysed the knee, had another surgery and found what was going on. An infection was hiding in there and he sorted it out quite quickly. 'That's five operations. If not for Dr Murray and how meticulous he was, I don't know when I would be back. A big thank you to him. He kind of saved me. I didn't think I'd play this season and, to be honest, I didn't know when I'd play. And it was great the club brought in Caitlin (physio Caitlin Wright, who moved from Hamilton mid-season). 'She's very thorough and takes her job seriously, which is important for a physio. You can't say that about everyone. Early mornings, late afternoons. There have been a lot of hard hours. I've missed so much football.'
Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Halkett at the double as Hearts hit four at Stirling
Craig Halkett netted a glory double as hearts swept Stirling Albion aside 4-0 at Forthbank in the Premier Sports Cup, Group E. The 30-year-old defender, whose recent career has been dogged by injury, opened the scoring after 13 minutes and completed the tally with ten minutes of regulation time remaining. Halkett (pictured by Nigel Duncan) also recorded an assist on Hearts' second netted by newcomer Claudio Braga. And Alex Kyziridis scored on his debut and also set up the opener for Halkett in the comfortable win against the Scottish League Two outfit. Three of the Jambos goals came in the first 38 minutes and the victory consolidated the Jambos at the top of the section with a perfect record of three straight wins. Derek McInnes has seen his men score 12 goals against Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical and now Stirling with only one in reply. Dunfermline are second in the section with three points, the same as third-placed Hamilton and Dumbarton, who are fourth, with Stirling Albion propping up the section. The Forthbank win also earned the Men in Maroon their second clean sheet in a week after their 4-0 victory at Broadwood against Hamilton and the Gorgie men complete their schedule with a home game against Dumbarton on Wednesday (kick-off 19.45). Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts run riot again, one top-flight club in big trouble, free-scorers hit eight goals
Latest from Premier Sports Cup as clubs bid to join Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Dundee Utd and Aberdeen in last 16 Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Hearts scored four goals for the third successive Premier Sports Group E match as they all but secured their place in the last 16 of the competition. Hot on the heels of beating Dunfermline Athletic 4-1 and Hamilton Accies 4-0, Derek McInnes' Jambos were in good form as they easily swatted aside League 2 opponents Stirling Albion 4-0 at Forthbank Stadium. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts are six points clear at the top of the pool ahead of their final group match at home to Dumbarton on Wednesday and can only be overhauled if they lose to the Sons and there is an improbable goal-difference swing. Stuart Findlay scores Hearts' fourth goal at Forthbank. | SNS Group Defender Craig Halkett headed Hearts into a 13th-minute lead from an Alexandros Kyziridis cross and then Claudio Braga added a second goal with a diving header ten minutes later. Kyziridis, making his Hearts debut, netted himself seven minutes before the break to put the Jambos on easy street, and while the second half was largely underwhelming, centre-half Stuart Findlay scored his second goal in as many games on 80 minutes. 'We did some good stuff, but I'd like us to be better,' said McInnes afterwards. 'I wanted us at half time to set a marker, but I didn't enjoy as much I wanted, but we didn't have any scares. But we've scored 12 goals and are top of the group, so there are a lot of encouraging things.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chastening day for Dundee Earlier in the day, Steven Pressley suffered a second defeat as Dundee manager as Alloa left their visitors' hopes of Premier Sports Cup progression in ruins. Dundee were on the end of another 1-0 defeat at the Indodrill Stadium after losing their opening game against Airdrie. The decisive moment came midway through the second half when Luke Graham could only turn Steven Buchanan's shot into his own net as he tried to clear in the goalmouth. The result moved Alloa on to nine points at the top of Group C, three ahead of Airdrie with a game more played. It was not a good day for Steven Pressley and Dundee. | SNS Group 'We weren't good enough,' said Pressley afterwards. 'I've talked a lot about how we need reinforcements, but the reality about today is that with the personnel we had on the pitch, we could do much, much better. And that's my responsibility, I take ownership of that. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I felt we lacked intensity. I think the fitness of certain players needs to improve. And just our decision-making ... on too many occasions we didn't get that right. We have to improve on that, we must move forward.' Mikael Mandron hit a hat-trick as St Mirren started and finished strongly in an 8-2 home win over Annan. St Mirren find their shooting boots Mandron put Saints three up inside nine minutes following Killian Phillips' double but trialist Myles Gaffney pulled two goals back for the visitors before Richard King converted a penalty on the hour mark. Stephen Robinson's side went goal crazy in the final 10 minutes with Mandron completing his treble and Jayden Richardson and Roland Idowu also on target. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ayr are a point behind Saints with a game in hand in Group D after Curtis Main hit a double in a 4-0 home win over Arbroath. Uche Ikpeazu scored the winner for St Johnstone. | SNS Group Falkirk could not follow up their seven-goal thrashing of Brechin as they were held to a goalless draw by Cove in another trip to the North East. The Bairns gained a penalty shoot-out bonus point but Spartans moved top of Group A with a 2-0 win at Glebe Park. Stephen O'Donnell hit the only goal as Motherwell moved top of Group G with victory over Stenhousemuir at Ochilview. O'Donnell had earlier had a goal disallowed and Callum Slattery hit the bar from a free-kick before the defender converted from a back-post corner four minutes before the break. Livingston bounced back from defeat by Kilmarnock in Group H with a 2-0 home win over Brora Rangers. Danny Wilson opened the scoring with an overhead kick just after the half-hour mark and Zak Rudden headed the second with six minutes left. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad County win in Dumfries Ross County cut the gap on Group B leaders Partick Thistle to two points after Jay Henderson's second-half winner in a 1-0 victory over Queen of the South at Palmerston. East Kilbride moved top of Group F as they followed up their shock triumph over Raith Rovers with a 4-1 win at Elgin with the help of Jack Leitch's first-half double. St Johnstone joined the SPFL newcomers on six points after Uche Ikpeazu's 90th-minute goal – his first for the club – earned a 1-0 win at Inverness.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Ex Hearts ace seals transfer to Scottish club as he's handed 'fresh opportunity'
The former star made a memorable Tynecastle debut and now signs with his latest Scottish club 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... A former Hearts player has completed a move to the Scottish Championship in his latest transfer. Clubs across the country are doing deals and the Jambos have been one of the most active. Signings like Claudio Braga have already hit the ground running in the club's Premier Sports Cup group stage campaign and more arrivals are set to be unveiled before the end of the window. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former players are also on the move and one of them is Harry Cochrane. The midfielder came through the ranks at Hearts and after leaving Queen of the South at the end of last season, he has signed a one-year deal with Arbroath. Under co-manager David Gold and Colin Hamilton, the Gayfield side earned promotion to the second tier ahead of this campaign. Harry Cochrane signs for Arbroath A statement reads: 'Welcome Harry! Arbroath FC is delighted to announce the signing of Harry Cochrane on a one-year deal, subject to SFA approval. The 24-year-old central midfielder joins the club following his departure from Queen of the South, and will be part of the squad for the upcoming 2025/26 season. 'Cochrane began his senior career with Heart of Midlothian and has gone on to represent clubs including Dunfermline Athletic and Queen of the South, gaining regular experience in Premiership, Championship and League One. Welcome to Gayfield Harry!' The co managers of Arbroath said of the ex Jambo: 'Harry's a young player, but he's played a lot of games at high levels, and we feel that he can be a good fit for how we want to play. It's a fresh opportunity for him, and we're happy to have him in the door.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Harry Cochrane on time at Hearts Now 24, Cochrane is a product of the Hearts youth system. He is famed for scoring the opening goal in Hearts' 4–0 win over Celtic on 17 December 2017,[13] a result that ended Celtic's 69-game unbeaten run in domestic matches.[14] In doing so he became the club's youngest league goalscorer, having became the first SFA Performance School graduate to start a Scottish Premiership game when debuting vs Dundee earlier that campaign. In total he made 33 Hearts appearances before leaving for Queen of the South in 2021. Speaking in 2023 of adapting to life after Hearts in the lower leagues, Cochrane said: 'It is different, a bit more physical games than technical. I've been trying to improve that side of my game. Hopefully I can work my way back up because everybody wants to play at the top level. I just sort of see it as a stepping stone. 'You are playing on astroturf most weeks, and probably not the best astros. You are training on astro every day and there is that physical side. I'm not saying it wasn't physical at the top level with Hearts, but probably the lower down you go, the less time you get on the ball. Since I left Hearts, I think I've put on about seven kilograms. I don't know if that's just me growing, or if it's my eating or doing the gym a bit more. I feel I've put on a wee bit of muscle and you need that in football now. A lot of it is physical and I'm not the quickest, as you know, so I need to try and build my game up in other ways.'
STV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Stuart Findlay delighted with debut goal as Hearts score four again
Stuart Findlay was delighted to get on the scoresheet on his Hearts debut as the Jambos made it six Premier Sports Cup points from six with a comfortable 4-0 win over Hamilton at Broadwood. The centre-back was brought to Tynecastle from Oxford by new Jambos boss Derek McInnes, who had him on loan at Kilmarnock, and he showed why with an early goal from a corner. There were further strikes from Elton Kabangu, James Wilson and Claudio Braga, with Portuguese attacker also getting goal his first for the Gorgie side. Findlay told Hearts' official X account: 'I went the full season last year without getting one, so to open my account after five minutes was a nice touch. 'We put a good bit of work into set-plays this week, I knew my job was to try to get around that back area and when we've got Blair Spittal on the park, he's going to deliver the ball, he going to give you that service. 'I was just lucky enough that it landed on my head and was able to put it away. 'So absolutely delighted and it's good to see the work paid off because in games like this, it's going to be tight at the start, it's going to be tough to break them down, so to get a goal from a set-piece to get us on our way is a good thing.' Noting that Hearts beat Dunfermline 4-1 at home in their Group E opener on Saturday, he said: 'We knew Hamilton would pose us a different sort of threat than Dunfermline did and we had to make sure we navigated that. 'I thought the first half they tried to break a few times, they looked OK on the break, but on the whole we kept quite good control of the game and another four goals to add to the four at the weekend is a really good start to the cup campaign.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
