Frankie McAvoy outlines two aspects of Fleetwood Town win which pleased Hearts the most

Frankie McAvoy was pleased to see his Hearts team overcome a tough opponent in difficult conditions after beating Fleetwood Town 2-0 in a pre-season friendly.

The fixture at Poolfoot Farm was settled by two late Jorge Grant goals as the Jambos got their first pre-season victory following defeat to Plymouth Argyle and a draw with Dunfermline Athletic.

Though it was a ‘closed-door’ affair with no fans able to watch, the game was played in strong winds in England’s north west. Fleetwood, managed by ex-Hibs midfielder Scott Brown, also put out a strong team which they kept out on the field for the majority of the game.

Those two aspects were particularly satisfying for the Hearts management team – also including technical director Steven Naismith and coach Gordon Forrest – as they ramp up preparations ahead of the new season.

Jorge Grant scored twice for Hearts in the 2-0 victory over Fleetwood Town. Picture: SNS

“The conditions were tough. The wind was extremely strong. We played well in the first half going against it, but even in the second half you need to be wary on how much you’re putting on forward passes. We did manage to get in a couple of shots from distance, which paid off with the two goals,” McAvoy told Hearts TV.

“You can see from the games we’ve played, these are not easy matches. We played Plymouth, then Dunfermline, who were quite a bit ahead in their schedule than us, then this game here. Fleetwood played a strong team and did so for most of the 90 minutes.

“We’ve got Wigan on Sunday and then Leeds, so these are tough games, but it’s why we chose them.

“Obviously the scoreline is pleasing, it’s good to win the game. You want to get into good habits.

“We got the two late goals, but first half was really pleasing. We controlled the game well and had some good play moving it through the lines. We maybe just lacked that cutting age.

“A lot of the younger boys got a chance to play and we got more minutes in the players’ legs. We changed it a bit at the half and maybe lost our rhythm a little, but we picked it up again at the end with Grant getting the two goals.”