Mullingar's Aidan Keena bags his first senior goal for Hearts

Mullingar man Aidan Keena got off the mark for SPL club Hearts’ senior team last weekend, as the Jam Tarts recorded a 4-0 cup win over Scottish regional side Auchinleck Talbot at Tynecastle on Sunday.

The former Mullingar Athletic clubman came on as a 75th minute sub for the Edinburgh side, as they cruised into the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

Replacing forward Steven Naismith, Keena was just 11 minutes on the field when he made an impact. He started the move in midfield, and was at the edge of the area when Demetri Mitchell delivered a cross into the penalty area.

Taking advantage of space, Keena seized on the ball, and with three Auchinleck defenders in his midst, he benefited from the bounce to crash a powerful shot past the visitors’ keeper, Andy Leishman.

 

 

Not content with this, Keena took to the field for Hearts in the reserve league again on Monday, firing a hat-trick against Greenock Morton reserves as the Jam Tarts recorded a 5-0 win.

This rich vein of form will surely put Keena in the pecking order as the SPL resumes next weekend, with Hearts – currently lying fifth in the table, and three points off third – due to visit Motherwell this Sunday afternoon. 

Keena made his full senior debut for Hearts in a recent 2-1 defeat at the hands of Dundee, and he will hope to find the net at senior level again as soon as possible, as he looks to carve out a place in Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland U21 side.