Kevin is hat-trick soil as Hearts turn hero on home in a star show

PAUL KIDDIE
IN VICTORIA

KEVIN McKENNA was the hat-trick hero for Hearts this morning as the Jambos swept aside the Pacific Coast All Stars 4-1 in Victoria.

The Canadian blasted a double in the first period and completed his treble tops with a 48th-minute header as Craig Levein’s side continued their pre-season tour of British Columbia in confident fashion.

Although Tiarnan King pulled one back for the hosts, Dennis Wyness netted his second goal of the tour in the 78th minute to complete a comfortable victory for the Gorgie outfit, who now face FA Cup finalists Millwall on Saturday in Vancouver.

With Craig Gordon and Patrick Kisnorbo still sidelined by injury Tepi Moilanen continued in goal for this morning’s clash against the Pacific Coast Soccer League All Stars.

Jamie McAllister was also sidelined after injuring his hand in Tuesday’s game against Canada B, while striker Ramon Pereira’s shin problem kept him out of the action.

Neil MacFarlane was handed his first taste of action on the tour as boss Craig Levein shuffled his pack, Alan Maybury also featuring for the first time.

Stephen Simmons dropped out along with Phil Stamp while Graham Weir, a substitute on Tuesday, started in place of Wyness, who scored the Jambos’ goal in the 1-1 draw in Burnaby.

With Mark de Vries also rested after his exertions earlier in the week, McKenna partnered the diminutive front man up front, the Canadian earning warm applause from the home crowd when introduced prior to kick-off.

After a ceremonial kick-off by Alan Lowe, the Mayor of the city of Victoria, Hearts got proceedings officially under way and were first to threaten after just two minutes.

Maybury, slotting in at left-back in the absence of McAllister, charged down the flank and sent in a dangerous ball towards McKenna lurking in the box 12 yards out. Keeper Dave Stockton, though, was alert to the danger and did well to punch clear, catching the stand-in striker in the process.

A minute later and the All Stars stopper was again in the thick of the action, this time producing a fine save to keep out a 16-yard drive from MacFarlane as the visitors took an early grip on the game.

The Jambos were handed a golden opportunity to go ahead after nine minutes when Weir was felled in the area by Paul Vandenboom, the striker fouled just inside the area after a neat move involving Paul Hartley and Neil Janczyk.

Skipper Steven Pressley strode forward to take the kick but Stockton dived to his right to keep out the captain’s effort - much to the delight of the enthusiastic home supporters - with Weir penalised for a lunge on the keeper as he tried to latch onto the loose ball.

Hearts were looking much more lively than in their opening tour match and Janczyk was the next to carve out a scoring chance, his delightful through ball finding Maybury in space behind the home defence. The Irishman’s lob, though, drifted over the bar as Stockton advanced from his line.

It was 14 minutes before the hosts made any sort of impression on the game, Maybury blocking Dana Garner’s shot from the edge of the box for a fruitless corner.

Stockton was given little time to dwell on his penalty heroics, Janczyk’s 20-yarder forcing the goalkeeper into an acrobatic tip-over with 17 minutes on the clock.

There was plenty of support for the Jambos in the 3000 crowd and the one-way traffic towards the All Stars goal continued, Weir’s backheel to McKenna seeing the Canadian drill in a low shot which failed to trouble Stockton. The hosts replied with a shot from distance from Jimmy Krueger, Moilanen getting down well to his right to save.

It appeared only a matter of time before the opener came and fittingly it was McKenna who broke the deadlock.

A deep cross from Maybury from out on the left picked out the Canadian on the penalty spot and he went in bravely to beat Stockton to the ball and knock it into the empty net.

Two minutes later and Hearts were denied a second by a bizarre bit of misfortune. The ball broke to Joe Hamill on the left-hand side of the area and his angled shot went through the legs of Stockton and seemed destined for the back of the net until it spun backwards off the line and squirmed past the keeper’s far post.

Hearts were playing some delightful passing football but Moilanen had to be alert to keep out Garner’s powerful drive on the half-hour mark.

MacFarlane then sent Robbie Neilson scampering down the right, the full-back’s cross to the back post deceiving Stockton although Hamill couldn’t take advantage, the winger slapping the ball into the side netting.

As the interval approached and the hot sun finally started to lose some of its strength, McKenna thought he should have had a penalty after being fouled by Vandenboom attempting to reach MacFarlane’s cross, referee Paul Ward ignoring his pleas.

The Gorgie star’s frustration was compounded seconds later when he was nutmegged on the near touchline and was left on his backside, much to the amusement of the Hearts bench.

McKenna was left feeling much better though moments before the break when Hartley set him up just outside the box and he gave Stockton no chance with a powerful low drive into the left-hand corner of the net.

Half-time: Pacific Coast All Stars 0, Hearts 2

Levein rang the changes at half-time, making no fewer than four substitutions.

Pressley, Hamill, Hartley and Neilson all failed to reappear for the second half, with Stamp, Driver, Wyness and McAllister all stepping off the bench. The former Livingston man slotted in at left-back, Maybury switching to the right.

Wyness partnered Weir up front with McKenna dropping back to centre half but the change didn’t block his goal-scoring threat and three minutes after the restart the Canadian completed a dream treble in his homeland.

Janczyk’s pinpoint delivery from a corner on the left picked out the Tynecastle star and his header gave Stockton no chance.

The first booking arrived in the 54th minute, Vince Stewart cautioned for a late tackle on Driver in front of the main stand.

The hosts came close to clawing their way back into the game when substitute Lupton had a good shooting chance but his effort flashed well wide of target under pressure from Andy Webster.

Phil Stamp should have scored with a diving near-post header but Stockton did well to deny the burly Englishman from close range.

Maybury became the second player to be booked for a foul on Garner on the hour mark and two minutes later Moilanen produced a superb save to turn Garner’s shot behind after the No.8 had broken through the Jambos rearguard.

The visitors didn’t pay heed to the warning though and with 63 minutes gone, the All Stars pulled a goal back.

Half-time substitute King gathered the ball on the right edge of the area cut inside McAllister and then Webster before clipping a low shot wide of Moilanen.

With 76 minutes gone, Wyness had a great chance to restore his side’s three-goal advantage when Maybury picked him out with an excellent cross from the right. Unmarked and with plenty of time to pick his spot, the striker steered his disappointing header wide of target. The former Inverness Caley Thistle forward made up for his error two minutes later, though, when he nodded home Driver’s back post cross.

That was to prove the winger’s final contribution, the youngster having to be replaced by Stephen Simmons after vomiting on the park before the game restarted, the problem appearing to have been caused by illness.

Mark de Vries then came on for the limping Janczyk, his impressive performance having been brought to a premature end by a foot injury.

The Dutchman hit the post in the closing seconds although the flag was already up for offside and moments later the referee’s whistle brought proceedings to an end, Hearts having shown a marked improvement on Tuesday’s display.

And in a nice public relations stunt, most of the Jambos hurled their maroon tops into the crowd as they walked off.

Full-time: Pacific Coast All Stars 1, Hearts 4

Pacific Coast All Stars: Stockton, Vandenboom, Millar, Schaefe, Pescada (Lupton, 32) Moore, Gilbert, Mori, Peters (Williams, 45), Krueger (King, 45), Garner. Subs not used: Hopp, Sandhu, Rose.

Hearts: Moilanen, Maybury, Pressley (Wyness, 45), Webster, Neilson (McAllister, 45), Hamill (Stamp, 45), Hartley (Driver, 45) (Simmons, 80), MacFarlane, Janczyk, Weir, McKenna.

Referee: P Ward (Vancouver).

Taken from the Scotsman