Hearts pre-season winning streak comes to an end as Crawley Town fight back at Tynecastle

Hearts threw away their 100 per cent pre-season record by letting a two-goal lead slip against Crawley Town at Tynecastle Park.

There were 3,110 in attendance on a sun-kissed day in Gorgie as the club prepare for the Scottish Premiership kick-off two weeks from now.

Robbie Neilson’s side were dominant in the first half and built a two-goal lead through a familiar source.

Stephen Kingsley netted seven times last term and he showed why with a rocket from 30 yards which swerved away from the goalkeeper in the right-hand corner.

Dom Telford bends the ball around Craig Gordon to equalise for Crawley Town after the visitors trailed 2-0. Picture: SNS

The defender then doubled the advantage a few minutes later, attacking a Jorge Grant corner and planting a header beyond the Crawley goalkeeper.

There were other chances for Hearts in the period. Alan Forrest was denied by a good save, Liam Boyce missed a header and was a little unlucky in a two-on-one with Michael Smith as the wing-back played the final ball a little too far in front of his team-mate.

The beginning of the second half couldn’t have been any different with Crawley scoring twice to level the scores and missing another couple of opportunities in a disastrous 10-minute period for the hosts. Dom Telford got both the goals after his summer move from Newport County.

Kingsley had a glorious chance to grab his hat-trick after again getting on the end of a Grant corner, but he got his finish all wrong as it came back off his heel.

Grant himself could have won it with a lovely turn and shot in the box but the keeper was equal to it.

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