Locke pleased with tough workout

Hearts were made to work hard for their 0-0 draw against Queen of the South on Saturday, but manager Gary Locke was none the less pleased with the workout his side got in preparation for the new season.

Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers was man of the match as he produced a string of excellent saves to keep the Dumfries side at bay, and the gaffer believes the game will stand his side in good stead.

"It was a very tough game, but credit to the lads for the way they worked and threw themselves in front of the ball. It was another really good workout for us," he said.

"They've got good, experienced players and I think they only lost one game last year so it was a tough exercise, but great for our fitness," he said.

Hearts were boosted by Callum Paterson's return to action after a lengthy injury lay-off and Locke was pleased to have him back in the fold.

"It was great to see him back in the picture, he got fifteen minutes at the end and now it's about giving him more minutes on the park.

"We also had Danny Wilson come down and do his warm-up and if everything goes well he'll play in Belfast, so it's great to get these two boys back," he explained.

The Jambos continue their pre-season preparation on Thursday when they travel to Belfast to face Crusaders and Liverpool.

Hearts World