Tynecastle 2 (Ponton 10, Kennedy 87)
Blackburn United 1 (Heath 32)

It was Blackburn who created chances right from the kick-off when Callum Heath had a 20 yard shot palmed away by Jackson in the opening minute, and then shortly after Dominc Kane tried to find the bottom corner from the edge of the area which squeezed just past.

Tynecastle created their first chance on 9 minutes when Cameron latched onto a through ball but Saunders got down to block the shot, but the opening goal was only delayed by a minute when after a quick free kick the ball found its way to Arran Ponton who fired in a shot from just outside the box which flew past Saunders.

On the 20 minute mark, Sawyers slid in Richie Hutton and he let loose a shot from a tight angle which Jackson touched past for a corner. Just after the half hour the scores were level when a move down the right found Callum Heath just inside the area and he curled his shot past Jackson. The last chance of the half saw Heath’s free-kick fly the wrong side of the post.

The second half saw another quick opening, Danny Campbell long range effort was held by Jackson and play then moved up the other end when an effort from Hendry sailed over. Kennedy then had a run into the left-hand edge of the box and chipped the ball to the back post but the two strikers just failed to connect.

It was Kennedy moments later who tested Saunders, his shot took a deflection but Saunders managed to get down and block the shot. As Tynecastle began to dominate possession, Cameron again tested Saunders just past the hour mark, and then it was the same player who got the ball past Saunders but Jack Sayers cleared off the line.

At the other end Heath tried his luck from distance which crept over. With 15 minutes remaining, substitute David Howe fed a through ball to fellow sub Kieran Sweeney running clear, but Jackson got his hand to the shot to push it away.

Tynecastle pushed for a winner and this time Chesser had a shot blocked on the line by Saunders who gathered gratefully but with three minutes remaining, a Cameron cross from the right was well cut out by Miller but the ball fell straight back to Cameron and he fired the ball across goal again and this time the ball was stabbed goalwards but it seemed to be stopped on the line before Kennedy bundled it over for the winner.

Tynecastle: Jackson, Pennycuik, Hendry, Combe, Kennedy, Ponton, Chesser (Fisher 78), Hendry (Wolczynski 84), Cameron, Wales, Jardine. Unused subs: Power, Moffat, Craighead, Deya, Rae.

Blackburn United: Saunders, Sayers, Millar, Browne (Ferris 84), Drummond, Meikle. Heath (Mildren 84), Cameron, Campbell (Sweeney 72), Kane (Howe 72), Hutton (Devine 68). Unused subs: Smith, Clements.

Referee: Chris Newman

Assistant Referees: Kieran Whalen, Ewan Pow

Tuesday 27th October 2020 – East of Scotland Premier League

Tynecastle 5 Blackburn United 1
Cameron 24, 28, 46, Fisher 56 Campbell 60
Kidd 65

Blackburn opened quickly and Danny Campbell and David Howe combined for the latter to run into the box but was tackled just as he was about to shoot. A minute later Justin Watson let fly from 20 yards which Murray Jackson in the Tynecastle goal gathered.

Taylor Hendry shot tamely at Craig Saunders on the 9 minute mark in their first real effort of the game, but they began to exert more pressure. A header by Jamie Butler from a corner was cleared off the line, then from a further corner Matthew Combe found space inside the area but dragged his shot wide. On 18 minutes a quick break saw Taylor Hendry feed Fletcher Hendry who shot straight a Saunders, moments later from another corner another Butler header forced Saunders to tip over.

The pressure paid off on 24 minutes when Taylor Hendry flicked a pass to Ryan Cameron inside the area, Martin Lawrie went in for a tackle and brought him down and referee Colin Whyte pointed to the spot. Cameron converted the spot kick. No more than four minutes later and it was almost an exact repeat with Lawrie going in for a tackle, Cameron falling to the ground and converting the subsequent spot kick.

Blackburn tried to pull themselves back into the game and just past the half hour mark Watson and Stuart MacLeod combined to set Campbell free on the right, however he dragged the shot wide across Jackson. Just before the break it was MacLeod who had a go from the edge of the area but the ball sailed over.

Things didn’t improve after the break when almost right from the kick-off, Fletcher Hendry pinged a shot goalwards, Saunders saved but spilled the ball into the path of Cameron who gleefully claimed his hattrick and the game was all but over.

Richie Hutton tried to pull one back a few minutes later but his effort was straight at Jackson. On 56 minutes Kenny Fisher cut inside on the left and angled a drive across Saunders into the far corner to make it four.

On the hour mark Blackburn pulled one back when a David Howe shot was parried into the path of Danny Campbell who drove the ball home to reduce the deficit, but only four minutes later the Tynecastle lead was extended again when a lofted free kick into the box saw Andrew Kidd head home unmarked. In the final minute there was time for Marc Smith to try and grab a second for Blackburn but his 20 yard shot struck the post and bounced to safety.

Blackburn United: Craig Saunders, James Mildren (Kieran Swanson 59), John Drummond, Martin Lawrie, Michael Browne, Dominic Kane, Justin Watson (Finlay Anderson 59), David Hose, Danny Campbell, Stuart MacLeod (Marc Smith 61), Richard Hutton (Kyle McClung 71). Unused subs: Jordan Devine, Laurie Devine, Gavin King.

Tynecastle: Murray Jackson, Ryan Stevenson (Lee Dawson 84), Andrew Kidd, Jamie Butler (Jonathan Steel 84), Matthew Combe, Oban Anderson, Kenny Fisher (Luke Kennedy 78), Ryan Cameron, Taylor Hendry (Stephen Watson 78), Blake Wales, Fletcher Hendry (Kieran Jack 70). Unused subs: Leno de Gaetano, Asher Tufail.

Referee: Colin Whyte Assistants: Will Pare, Paul Hanlon.