Hearts U21s 0-0 Sunderland U21s
Sunderland under-21s were held to a goalless draw at Hearts in their second pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon.
George Brady went closest for the visitors in the second period after James Talbot made a smart save to keep the scoreline level in the opening stages.
Following a draw at Seaham Red Star on Tuesday, Andy Welsh’s development side headed north to Scotland keen to build on the positives shown in that game.
With the new-look side still trying to find their feet and adjust to life in the under-21s team, Hearts presented a very different test to the one posed by Red Star earlier in the week.
While physicality and brute strength was high on the agenda on Tuesday evening, technical ability and quality in possession was highlighted as a key area for assessment by Welsh in his pre-match notes ahead of their second friendly.
Having been back in pre-season since the middle of June, Hearts understandably began the game brightly and carved out a number of decent opportunities to open the scoring.
However, just as they looked to force the issue James Talbot came to the Lads’ rescue in the first period as he displayed fine reflex actions to get gloves onto a goal-bound strike from seven-yards out.
Sunderland responded well and while the hosts dominated large spells of the play, Brady saw his header from a set-piece smack the post before falling kindly into the keepers grasp.
Elliot Embleton and Andrew Nelson then tried their luck from range but again they were comfortably gathered by Hearts’ stopper.
In the end, both teams were able to unlock the opposing defences and the game petered out into a goalless draw.
Sunderland under-21s starting XI: Talbot, Casey, Trialist, Ledger, Wright, Trialist, Molyneux, Embleton, Nelson, Asoro