Edinburgh | Comfortable win for Hearts in Craig Gordon’s testimonial
Hearts 3 - 0 Sunderland
Hearts marked Craig Gordon’s testimonial with a commanding 3-0 win over Premier League side Sunderland at Tynecastle Park, rounding off an unbeaten pre-season campaign in style.
Author | Lewis Whatley
Stadium | Tynecastle
On an afternoon dedicated to celebrating the long-serving goalkeeper, the hosts took the lead through Claudio Braga’s early header before second-half goals from Lawrence Shankland and Alexandros Kyziridis capped a dominant display from Steven Naismith’s side.
Gordon, who is still recovering from a neck injury, was substituted in the opening minute to a warm ovation after both teams formed a guard of honour. The veteran keeper’s brief appearance was a poignant moment in front of a home crowd that has long revered his contribution to the club and country.
Sunderland created the first real chance after eight minutes when Enzo Le Fée’s deflected effort was gathered by Zander Clark. But Hearts soon took control. Oisín McEntee shrugged off Niall Huggins, surged down the flank and delivered a pinpoint cross that Braga met with a firm header to open the scoring.
Braga nearly added a second ten minutes later, side-footing straight at Simon Moore. While the first half petered out without much incident, the hosts continued to edge possession and limit Sunderland’s opportunities.
The second half saw the introduction of Michael Steinwender and James Wilson, and the latter almost made an immediate impact. The striker burst through on goal but was denied by a last-ditch challenge from Dan Ballard.
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Hearts stepped up the pressure and were nearly rewarded when Adam Forrester’s driving run set up Shankland, whose effort flew narrowly wide. Another opening came just after the hour mark when McEntee’s long clearance caught the Sunderland defence off guard. Wilson latched on to it but fired wide under pressure.
The second goal came shortly afterwards. Blair Spittal found Shankland on the edge of the box, and the Scotland international lashed a shot into the net with the aid of a deflection.
The third arrived in the closing stages, thanks to a defensive lapse from Sunderland. A careless pass across the box from Noah Sadiki landed at the feet of Kyziridis, who slotted home unmarked.
Alan Forrest went close to adding a fourth, his curling effort glancing off a Sunderland defender and wide, but by then the result was beyond doubt.
Hearts’ pre-season momentum continues ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen on 4 August. For Gordon, it was a fitting tribute on home soil, as his team delivered a performance worthy of the occasion.
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