Hearts U21 came from behind to beat Berwick Rangers 4-3 in the Challenge Cup Group Stage - 1 on Tuesday evening. The away side took control through a series of spot-kicks, but Berwick refused to surrender until the final whistle. By then the visitors had already established something of a rhythm.
Gordon Binnie was the difference-maker for Hearts U21, netting three penalties in the opening half. The first came in the 27th minute after Berwick went ahead through Ciaran Daly's 15th-minute strike. To be fair, the home side had plenty of energy early on, but the penalties shifted the momentum entirely.
Berwick responded with determination. Ciaran Daly equalised in the 62nd minute, and Thomas North added a penalty in the 49th minute to keep them within striking distance. And here's the thing — the match stayed finely balanced despite Hearts U21's possession advantage.
The statistics tell one story while the game played out differently. Hearts U21 held 79 per cent of the ball compared to Berwick's 21 per cent, yet neither side registered shots on target. Berwick earned 6 corners to the visitors' 8, and picked up 3 yellow cards against just 1 for Hearts U21.
The result puts Hearts U21 in a strong position in Group Stage - 1. Berwick will need to regroup quickly — their recent form has been inconsistent, with losses to Nairn County and Forfar Athletic among their last five results.