Frankie McAvoy hailed the return of Liam Boyce and Beni Baningime as Hearts rounded their pre-season training trip to Marbella with a 1-0 friendly defeat to Plymouth.
The duo were brought on for the final 15 minutes against the Pilgrims marking the first action in 15 months for Baningime and 11 months for Boyce. A Freddie Issaka strike after 19 minutes was the difference as the newly-promoted Championship side, who had former Rangers striker Ryan Hardie in their line-up, took the spoils.
But McAvoy, in his first game as head coach, said: He said: “The most pleasing thing was seeing Boycey and Beni back. And a lot of the younger boys got a good run out as well, which was good. It’s just getting more minutes. The games are coming thick and fast, we have Wigan and Fleetwood next week. And we just need to keep working them hard on the training field.
“I think the camp has been excellent, to be honest. We hope we can add a few players as the weeks progress but overall we have got to be generally pleased. We know how we want to play and we’ll get better.”
Hearts were under the cosh early doors and Zander Clark had already pulled off two good saves to deny Issaka and Caleb Roberts before the Pilgrims surged ahead in the 19th minute. The impressive Issaka cut in off the left and drilled a low strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Lawrence Shankland blazed over then failed to connect with Andy Halliday’s cutback at the Jambos pressed for a first half leveller. But with the heat taking it’s toll a ream of half time subs saw youngsters Harry Stone, Luke Rathie, Callum Flatman, Callum Sandilands and Aiden Denholm thrown on to join their B team mates Connor Smith and Finlay Pollock who had started the match.
The teens injected energy and pace into the side but it was the sight of Boyce and Baningime entering the fray with 20 minutes left that will most please Jambos. Boyce curled wide from 20 yards but Hearts failed to find an equaliser.
McAvoy said: “They started a wee bit brighter, they were slicker than we were. It took us a wee bit of time to get our press right but I thought we were better after he wee water break in the first half. They got their goal which was disappointing from our point of view.
“But from then on it was better, there were good signs from some of the things we’re trying to get into them. So it was pleasing. We have had a good week, we’re relatively pleased.”
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