Raith Rovers 0-1 Hearts: Player ratings, new signing debuts, one man impresses, Mato saves the day

Hearts laboured at times during this friendly with Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park and were grateful for a late Rogers Mato winning goal. Head coach Wouter Vrancken utilised his large first-team squad but the Scottish Championship side frustrated their Premiership guests for long spells. The Edinburgh club have notably more high-profile occasions looming and were simply content at leaving Kirkcaldy with a win.

Hearts are in the middle of two demanding legs of a Champions League qualifying tie and arranged this game was to help players with match practice. Very few properly imposed themselves on proceedings. There was a debut for new goalkeeper Beau Reus in the second period as he stakes his claim to be No.1 at Tynecastle, with Alexander Schwolow poised to leave. Mato struck after a late mistake in the Raith defence to earn the visitors victory.

This game was sandwiched in between Hearts’ European matches against Sturm Graz and gave Vrancken another chance to assess some squad players. No-one from last Tuesday night’s 4-0 defeat against Sturm in Austria played from the start. It was also a chance to give match practice to players who could feature in this week’s second leg, such as the French pair Amadou Ba-Sy and Sabri Guendouz, plus defenders Stephen Kingsley and Stuart Findlay. Guendouz was Hearts’ best player on the night and staked his claim for starting slot against Sturm.

Raith Rovers’ Lewis Gibson sent an early opportunity over the visitors’ crossbar after racing through on goalkeeper Zander Clark. Kai Montagu sent another attempt skywards moments later before Hearts winger Josh McPake sent a 20-yard shot into the arms of Raith goalkeeper Josh Rae. Tomas Magnusson burst into the box on 18 minutes but Rae stopped the Icelander’s effort, too.

Hearts dominated possession with a lot of sideways passes as they waited on openings. In midfield, Magnusson was the legs and aggression and Tom Renaud the more cultured one. McPake and particularly Guendouz tried to show the required movement and flair to create chances, and Sabah Kerjota also saw a fair amount of the ball drifting in from the right flank. Ba-Sy’s touch receiving the ball was impressive as he tried to link with the dangerous Guendouz. What he really wanted was deliveries into the Raith box which he could attack.

New goalkeeper Reus replaced Clark at half-time for Hearts, with James Wilson and Rogers Mato also introduced. Raith also swapped keepers as Luke Armstrong took over from Rae. Distribution from defence by the Tynecastle side was erratic, which gave Raith increasing confidence. Striker Anton Dowds wrestled with visiting centre-back MJ Kamson-Kamara and Montagu was also buzzing around in the final third. Kamson-Kamara didn’t look convincing under pressure, while Stuart Findlay beside him is still short of match practice following close-season surgery on his ankle.

Hearts fashioned a fine chance on 69 minutes when captain Stephen Kingsley crossed from the second phase of play after a corner. Kamson-Kamara powered a header towards goal, but Armstrong was airborne for an excellent one-handed save. The Gorgie side were now increasing the tempo as Magnusson had an attempt roll wide of target. However, Raith were a threat on the counter attack, substitute Dylan Easton’s back-post header forcing a terrific reflex save from Reus. The same player shot narrowly wide moments later.

Three miuntes from the end of regulation time, Mato seized an opportunity to score the game’s winning goal. Raith defender Jai Rowe’s passback to Armstrong was short and Mato nipped in to fire the ball into the net before it reached the keeper. That was the deciding moment of the game as the Tynecastle side now prepare for a difficult midweek task in Europe.