Levein wants his Hearts strikers to be more clinical

Posted Wednesday, July 17, 2019 by PA

Hearts manager Craig Levein says his side should have won by a greater margin than 2-0 against Cowdenbeath.

First-half goals from debutant Craig Halkett and Anthony McDonald gave the Ladbrokes Premiership side a 2-0 Betfred Cup victory at Central Park.

However, Blue Brazil goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski kept the scoreline down and Levein wants to see his side be more clinical in their remaining matches in the competition.

Levein said: “It was a combination of being a bit wasteful in front of goal and the goalkeeper (Dabrowski) had a good match.

“I also feel we have a lot of strikers who are desperate to score and had lots of opportunities to pass to an unmarked player and chose to shoot.

“But I understand that, that’s something that a striker needs, and he needs to be greedy.

“It is slightly frustrating of course that we haven’t managed to get more goals, because it might be that the group seedings are decided on goal difference, so we need to try and sharpen up on goal.”

Defender Halkett scored just eight minutes into his debut and Levein was impressed with his start to life in maroon.

The former Cowdenbeath player and manager continued: ”It was great for him, I thought he played well alongside Christophe (Berra).

“Their strikers are physically capable. I didn’t feel at any time that we would lose a goal, they were in control.”