Liam Boyce scores brace as Hearts hit Queen of the South for six at Tynecastle

Posted Sunday, December 13, 2020 by PA

Liam Boyce took his tally for the season to five with a brace in Hearts’ 6-1 win over Queen of the South.

Steven Naismith opened the scoring for the leaders with a superb swerving strike from 25 yards that went in off a post after 20 minutes.

It should have been 2-0 five minutes later when Naismith’s chipped pass to Boyce forced a fine save from Jack Leighfield and Olly Lee somehow blazed over the loose ball from close in.

Queen of the South spurned a good chance to equalise shortly afterwards when Connor Shields lobbed Craig Gordon but the ball cleared the crossbar.

Hearts made them pay with a second goal in first-half stoppage time as Boyce powered in a header from Lee’s pinpoint cross.

And Boyce added a third immediately after the restart, turning in a low cross from Aidy White.

The visitors pulled a goal back after 72 minutes when Ayo Obileye got on the end of a free-kick at the back post, but Hearts restored their three-goal cushion when Jamie Walker slammed the ball home four minutes later.

Elliott Frear tapped in a fifth eight minutes from time and Josh Ginnelly sealed a thumping victory with a 25-yard piledriver in the first minute of time added on.