Strange days but Tynecastle boss is in seventh heaven

Tynecastle boss Chris Scott admits this season is going to be a 'strange' one because his side are going to have to raise their game week on week against teams of varying ability.

Jordan Smith makes it 4-1 for Tynecastle. Pic: Neil Hanna

Tynie kicked off their East of Scotland Conference B in style with a comprehensive 7-2 victory over Eyemouth full of promise as their young squad saw their attacking flair rewarded with goals.

Despite falling behind in the first half, Tynie rallied back and were more than worthy of the seven goals they netted.

“We started off quite slow, we were probably being too nice on the ball and trying to overplay it at times,” said Scott. “They scored on the break which was disappointing, but we got back in the game nice and early, I think only two or three minutes after they scored, which showed quite a good bit of character.

“From there we upped the tempo and got four quickfire goals. I’m delighted to get seven goals especially in our first [league] game. Eyemouth are a team that obviously travel and you never know what you are going to get, I think today showed that. I’ve always said from the very beginning, it’s about what we do on the day and I think we showed what we can do when we get the ball moving.

“What was pleasing was seeing what we are working on in training you can see it happening in games now. There was always going to be a transition at the start to the season when there’s going to be slightly new styles and personnel.

“There’s an energy level about us and an intensity for the 90 minutes. No disrespect to Eyemouth, but it’s a strange league now, because you are going to be playing a team like Eyemouth where they are seen as being at the lower end and then next week we have to give ourselves that confidence to go and play Newtongrange [Star], where you go from one end right to the other end.”

Tynecastle finished fifth last season prior to the restructuring of the leagues in the summer. A top-five finish this season would ensure they are competing in the top league next season.

Scott added: “We have our own targets. The key thing that has to be remembered is we are a club who are always going to be a development club. Our drive is to finish as high up the table as we can, we have to be realistic with that, but at the same time to give the players a platform and opportunity to make them play. We believe in what we are trying to do and we’re getting there.”

The hosts had started on top but they found themselves behind on 20 minutes as Jospeh Mario Ray took advantage of some slack defending to fire in at the front post.

Substitute Sam Westwood, who replaced the injured Greg Page just ten minutes in, equalised just two minutes later when he got the ball over the line from Jordan Smith’s corner-kick.

Westwood then struck the bar with a header just minutes later, but Tynecastle were celebrating once again when Niall Kelly hammered the ball high into the net from close range.

Striker Malcolm Burgess soon made it three for Tynie when he netted at the back post, before Smith found the top corner with a great effort of his own.

The home side continued to dominate after the break and it took just a minute from the restart to find number five with Burgess given all the space he needed to fire in off the bar.

Teenage midfielder Kelly got his second of the match – the pick of the bunch – as he sent a sublime volley past visiting goalkeeper Adam Mutch.

Dean Crabbe made it seven, only for Eyemouth to reduce the deficit late on through Andrew Sword.

Tynecastle: Watt, Grant, Greig, Ferguson (Jardine), Page (Westwood), Kelly, Crabbe, Barfoot (MacDonald), Burgess, Smith, Guy.

Eyemouth United: Mutch, A Patterson, Turner, Spiers, G Patterson, Gillen, Blackie, Aitchison (Sword), Ray, Smith, Logie.