Hearts 0-1 Plymouth Argyle: Two stars make long-awaited return in pre-season defeat

Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce each made their long-awaited return as Hearts lost the first match of pre-season with a 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

Freddie Issaka netted the only goal of the game during the opening period for Steven Schumacher’s men, but there was something for Hearts fans to get excited about with the introduction of the two long-term injury casualties in the 74th minute.

Baningime missed the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign after tearing his ACL in a game against Livingston in March of the previous season. Boyce, meanwhile, didn’t return after sustaining the same injury against St Johnstone last August.

The English Championship side started the brighter of the two teams at the Marbella Football Center with Zander Clark saving from Issaka before Ryan Hardie sent a shot wide after following up Caleb Roberts’ speculative effort.

The match took place at the Marbella Football Center in the Spanish south coast. Picture: Getty

The Home Park outfit used this momentum to take the lead on 20 minutes. Issaka raced down the left before cutting back inside, driving across the edge of the box and then going back across himself with a well-placed shot which nestled in the bottom corner.

Hearts threatened on the half-hour mark with Andy Halliday firing over. Last season’s top scorer Lawrence Shankland then missed two opportunities before the break: striking over from an Alan Forrest cross before shooting wide after being set up by Halliday.

Frankie McAvoy’s side made wholesale changes at the break with chances few and far between in the second period.

Boyce did, however, almost make an instant impact on his return, sending a shot wide from inside the area just two minutes after coming on as sub.

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