Berwick v Hearts B Match Report
Berwick suffered a crushing 4-3 loss to Hearts B in the KDM Evolution Trophy, despite leading after three successful penalties from Greg Binnie.
Hearts B took the lead through Cormac Daly before three penalties in ten minutes from Binnie saw Berwick lead 3-1 at half-time. However, Hearts B scored three of their own in the second half through a Tommy North penalty, another Daly goal and a Jaedon Donker volley to complete the comeback win.
Berwick pushed several players forward in the early stages. Binnie then looked to have been brought down in the box after a challenge by Carson McGauley. The referee denied the claim and Hearts B broke on the counter-attack through Daly. He managed to run the length of the pitch before his soft shot trickled past Antell and into the bottom right corner. The Gers will no doubt have felt hard done by as they fell behind after being denied a penalty.
Hearts B were the better side in terms of pace which gave the visitors superior control in the midfield. However, the Dream Team were finding joy with long balls as Ben McCrystal gathered a cross-field pass on the left-hand side. He managed to skip past Alfie Wilson and McGauley before unleashing a shot that went just wide.
McCrystal was at the heart of the Berwick attack again as he drove into the box before he was brought down by Stanley Wilson and the Gers were given a penalty. Binnie stepped up and smashed the ball into the top left corner as Aiden Duncan couldn’t get close with the game level again.
Berwick’s goal sparked confidence back into the team as they pushed the Hearts B defence deeper. Caelan McCrone’s pressure saw him win the ball high up the pitch before driving past Euan Glasgow. The Hearts B skipper then pulled McCrone to the ground and Berwick were awarded another penalty. Binnie stepped up again and scored again as his spotkick went into the bottom left corner as the Dream Team led for the first time in the game.
Just a few minutes later, Ryan Turner picked out McCrystal who utilised his pace to drive towards goal and was then brought down by Robbie Flockhart and the referee awarded yet another penalty to the Gers. A third penalty in ten minutes for Binnie and he made no mistake again as he struck with force down the middle to make it 3-1 to the Dream Team. Berwick held this scoreline at half-time.
Hearts B began the second half on top as Stanley Wilson drove with pace down the right-hand side before being brought down by Kyle Somers. The referee awarded the fourth penalty of the game and a first for Hearts B. North’s spotkick was slotted into the bottom right corner to reduce the deficit to one.
It was a game of momentum swings as Hearts B’s bright start to the second half gave them the impetus. Stanley Wilson’s corner broke to Daly at the back post who had the composure to touch and get a shot off. The ball made its way through a crowd of players and into the net as Hearts B made it 3-3.
The visitors continued to dominate proceedings as Donker showed quick feet as he took on Turner. He pulled the ball back to North whose shot hit the post before breaking to Daly. However, his rebound ballooned over the bar.
Bayley Klimionek made his first Gers appearance since his return, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. His cross to the back post was begging for a connection but Callum Mackay and Josh O’Connor seemed to get in each other’s way as Mackay’s wayward header went wide.
As the game entered its final fifteen minutes, it looked like the next goal would be the decider. Daly got down the left before his cross to the back post was met with a brilliant volley by Donkor as the ball flew past Antell and into the net to complete the turnaround for Hearts B.
Berwick had one late chance to salvage a draw as Turner’s corner fell to Klimionek on the edge of the box, but his shot looped over the bar.
At the other end, Hearts B nearly had a fifth as Allan Clark sprinted down the left before cutting the ball back to Peter Kellock. His shot went wide.
Hearts B secured the win as Berwick scupper a lead to lose 4-3 for the second game in a row. The Gers are next in action this Saturday as they play University of Stirling in the Lowland League East at Shielfield Park.