STIRLING ALBION 1 - Dunn 32
HEARTS 3 - Mikoliunas 69; Thorarinsson 88; Pressley 90

TWO goals in the last four minutes earned Hearts victory at Second Division Stirling Albion, where city rivals Hibs had triumphed on Wednesday.

Hearts again included captain Steven Pressley as a trialist as he awaits to resolve some contract issues while Craig Gordon, Jamie McAllister and Neil MacFarlane were among the other starters for the Jambos who also had a side at Berwick yesterday.

George Burley's men posted a couple of early threats but it was Albion, managed by former Hearts winger Allan Moore, who impressed most in the first half. David O'Brien burst into the box in 27 minutes forcing Gordon to tip the ball over and in the 32nd minute the home team were ahead.

Substitute Dennis Wyness was guilty of a dreadful pass which was then gathered by Robert Dunn and he hit a stunning 30-yarder into the top right hand corner.

Stirling almost doubled their lead on the stroke of halftime when Dunn set up Stewart Devine but his low drive struck the base of the post.

The Gorgie side brought on Saulius Mikoliunas and Lee Wallace at halftime but it was Wyness who had a chance to level in 52 minutes but he could only lift his shot over the top. Home defender Andy Graham then thwarted French trialist Julien Brellier with a great block as Hearts pressed for an equaliser. That arrived on the 69 minute mark when Wyness sent Mikoliunas clear and the Lithuanian midfielder swept a left foot shot beyond ex-Hearts goalie Myles Hogarth.

Albion, having lost top scorer Scott McLean over the summer, struggled to create much after the break especially after major threat Dunn went off.

The game seemed to be heading for a stalemate until Hearts struck with two goals at the death.

First Pressley set up Icelandic striker Hjalmar Thorarinsson in 88 minutes who smacked it home from four yards. Then in the final minute Pressley's long range header after a McAllister corner found its way into the corner of the net.

The result was perhaps a touch harsh on the home side who passed the ball well especially in the first half but the visitors stuck at it and were rewarded in the end.

Taken from the Scotsman