Hearts player ratings vs Arbroath: 16 stars assessed, who was captain and top performers in friendly win

Hearts clinched a 2-1 win against Arbroath in their latest pre-season friendly.

Pierre Landry Kabore and Alexandros Kyziridis netted either side of half-time before Andy Winter pulled one back for the hosts. Head coach Wouter Vrancken’s Premiership outfit contest their final pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano on Friday before competitive action in the Champions League begins next week. against Sturm Graz.

Matches with Kilmarnock and Livingston last Friday were fitness building exercises for Vrancken’s side but attentions were turning towards next Tuesday’s second round qualifier first leg versus Austrian opposition away from home. Competitive action begins on July 21 and meetings versus the Red Litchies in Colin Hamilton’s testimonial and La Liga’s Rayo Vallecano at Tynecastle would serve as final chances to stake claims for involvement in those games.

A more careful eye on who is carrying out tactical instructions best would also be carried out by the coaching team with a high-level opponent facing them upon their return to Europe. Taking on Arbroath at Gayfield presented a wholly different test to what the Sturm Graz matches will likely throw up but the emphasis would be on Hearts to break down a Championship opponent who started their competitive season last Saturday with a Premier Sports Cup win over League Two’s Spartans.

New signings and exits have been aplenty, so while there are new names for Hearts fans to find out more about, Vrancken’s selection looked more geared towards who may start in Austria. Number one Alexander Schwolow was between the sticks with Jordi Altena and Harry Milne at full-back positions. Jamie McCart made up a central defensive pairing with new signing Malachi Fagan-Walcott in an attack-minded side. Blair Spittal and Oisin McEntee were in front of the back four, Kabore lead the line up front, while Kyziridis, Sabri Guendouz and Calvin Miller provided support behind him.

Kabore had it in the net early on but it was ruled out for offside during a stuffy encounter not helped by a particularly dry surface that didn’t lend itself to the style Vrancken wants his team to play. The Burkina Faso international wouldn’t be denied before the half-hour mark as he headed Miller’s corner into the far-corner of Arbroath’s net. Changes were made after an hour as Claudio Braga, Yan Dhanda, Sabah Kerjota, Stuart Findlay and Christian Borchgrevink all played for 30 minutes.

Kyziridis looked to have made sure a Hearts win was in the bag as he fired into the bottom corner off a nice Kerjota pass. The deficit was halved almost immediately as Dhanda’s header back to Schwolow was intercepted by Winter and he dispatched beyond the German goalkeeper. Victory was eventually secured with a different kind of test awaiting them against Spanish opposition in the build-up to Europe. Here’s how we rated the Hearts players at Arbroath.