Hearts 1-1 Ross County: Lawrence Shankland salvages draw

Ronan Hale gave the visitors a first-half lead before Lawrence Shankland netted his first goal of the season in the sixth minute of injury time.

Interim manager Liam Fox made five changes to the starting XI – a line-up which included none of the nine summer signings.

In the absence of Gerald Taylor, Liam Fox promoted B team right-back and captain Adam Forrester and he started ahead of Daniel Oyegoke.

Elsewhere, Blair Spittal dropped to the bench, Malachi Boateng missed out altogether and there was a completely new central-defensive pairing in Frankie Kent and Kye Rowles. Stephen Kingsley moved to left-back, meaning James Penrice started among the substitutes.

Up front, Alan Forrest and Kenneth Vargas started on either side of Lawrence Shankland in a 4-3-3 formation.

Adam Forrester's debut

Forrester’s first touch sent Hearts on the attack when he found Shankland whose flicked through ball sent Hearts down the right before it was halted by the County backline.

The 19-year-old was involved again in the opening minutes when Hearts should have taken the lead.

Forrester executed a lovely backheel as part of a one-two that saw Vargas eventually hit the target. Goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw couldn’t hold on and Shankland cut back for Devlin who thought he’d scored but for a goal-saving block from Ryan Leak.

The young Hearts full-back had an attempt at goal in the second half from outside the box but didn’t catch it well and the ball flew wide.

Hearts chances

Forrester and Kinsley would go wide when their goalkeeper had the ball but would come into the centre of the pitch more in the opposing half, with Forrest and Vargas staying wide of the Ross County back three.

It helped create chances and Devlin had another opportunity, this time from the edge of the area from a Forrest cutback, but it was right at Laidlaw.

Shankland was dropping to link effectively as well as being in the box to be on the end of chances but once again couldn’t break his duck for the season, spurning a header at the back post.

Another chance fell to Forrest, this time from a mishit corner from Grant but the rasping strike was saved at his near post by Laidlaw.

Punished for not converting

Beni Baningime was playing as the anchor in the midfield, with Jorge Grant and Cammy Devlin either side of him.

Baningime was excellent in the first half hour, getting his toe in to make a number of important challenges.

He thought he had again just before Ross County took the lead, but the ball broke to Hale who curled in a fantastic strike beyond the reach of Craig Gordon.

The damage had been done before when Grant gave up possession cheaply, allowing the visitors to counter quickly.

Before that, County had threatened from set plays and from a Noah Chilvers shots that cleared the bar Baningime got his toe in again not long before half-time, this time at the edge of the box. Kingsley sent in an inviting back-post cross for Shankland but the skipper headed wide.

Predictable second half

With a lead to protect, and Hearts’ record in front of goal, it was no surprise to see County sitting in for the second half.

Early in the half, Baningime had a shot well blocked as County desperately threw men in front of the ball.

Fox then turned to his bench 10 minute in, bringing on Spittal and Barrie McKay called for Devlin and Vargas. It gave Hearts a lift, with Shankland hitting the bar and Forrest putting in a dangerous cross that no one gambled on. And McKay shot wide after a one-two with his captain.

Forrest then made way for Yan Dhanda as County’s defensive line got closer to their goal.

For all their defending, Ross County's Akil Wright almost doubled the away side's advantage with around 10 minutes remaining but he headed just wide. 

That was until the final minute of added time. Shankland must have though his race was run when presented with a one-on-one that Laidlaw saved. 

But he rose to nod in the subsequent corner and was visibly relieved, and again seconds later after a short VAR check.