Smith scores as he boosts fitness bid

Published on 01/08/2012 12:12

HEARTS striker Gordon Smith played and scored in last night’s closed-doors friendly win over Falkirk as manager John McGlynn granted several first-team players game time ahead of Saturday’s season-opening SPL match with St Johnstone.

A Hearts team containing a mixture of senior and youth players beat their Falkirk counterparts 3-0, with Smith, Jamie Walker and Dale Carrick all on target. Danny Grainger, Mehdi Taouil, Arvydas Novikovas, Mark Ridgers and Callum 
Tapping also featured.

Smith has been absent from all pre-season matches this summer having been hospitalised with a severe bout of tonsilitis. McGlynn opted to leave him in Edinburgh to train at the weekend rather than take him south to face Rotherham United. Last night was his first outing and, as the most experienced back-up for John Sutton, the 21-year-old will have done his chances no harm by scoring.

Likewise, 18-year-old striker Carrick continues to impress as McGlynn looks to the youth team to compensate for his lack of experienced forwards.

Gary Locke, Hearts’ first-team coach, stressed that the management team are pleased with their pre-season preparations. “Everything has been good so far,” he said. “We’ve tried to be sensible about the pre-season but are also working the boys hard. The gaffer and the sports scientist have a program which has gone well. We haven’t had any injury problems. I don’t look too much into results, it’s just a case of getting all the boys game time. Hopefully, come Saturday, everybody’s ready.”

Callum Paterson and Jack Hamilton have both been named in Scotland’s Under-19 squad for the friendly with 
Germany later this month.

Related Articles

• Raith Rovers 0-3 Hearts: New-look Jambos in full control

  THE unrecognisable face of the Hearts line-up which kicked off John McGlynn’s reign as manager was perhaps best illustrated when a small group of away supporters mistakenly began singing the name of Ryan McGowan in the immediate aftermath of their team’s opening goal at Stark’s Park.

  26 Comments

• Falkirk 1 - 0 Hearts: Luke Leahy opens account for new club

  NEW Falkirk signing Luke Leahy heralded his arrival at the club with the only goal of the game against Hearts.

  56 Comments

• Despite a pre-season defeat by Falkirk, Jambos boss McGlynn heartened by chances made

  JOHN McGLYNN won’t read too much into last night’s 1-0 defeat by Falkirk. Nor should he. Hearts suffered for some wastefulness in front of goal and ultimately lost their second pre-season outing to Luke Leahy’s strike early in the second half. But McGlynn is experienced enough to know scorelines matter little in summer friendlies
Hearts controlled large periods of the match and fashioned even more openings than on Saturday, when they defeated Raith Rovers 3-0 at Stark’s Park. The difference last night was they couldn’t convert. David Templeton, John Sutton, Marius Zaliukas and Jamie Walker all had efforts repelled by the impressive Michael McGovern in Falkirk’s goal. At the opposite end, Leahy dispatched one of Falkirk’s few opportunities 
beyond Mark Ridgers.

  2 Comments

• Rotherham Utd 0-1 Hearts: Sutton’s on the button again for Hearts

  DRIVING past the now dilapidated Millmoor ground in Rotherham, the imposing New York Stadium thunders into view.

  30 Comments

• Sergio’s dilemma: too many options

  THERE aren’t many other sides in Scotland – probably none – outwith the Old Firm who could make eight changes from a side that drew away to Tottenham and still run out convincing winners over an SPL rival just a few days later.

  0 Comments