Five of Sunderland’s six summer signings were involved at Tynecastle, but none were major factors in the game as Hearts ran out comfortable winners to ensure Craig Gordon was able to celebrate his testimonial fixture.
Gordon played for the opening minute before making way, but the 42-year-old would have enjoyed watching his current employers outplay his former club from first minute ti last.
Claudio Braga, Lawrence Shankland and Alexandros Kyziridis scored in either half for Hearts, and while Regis Le Bris will not be too worried by his side’s defeat to Scottish Premier League opposition, he will want to see a marked improvement in performance in the four friendly matches that remain ahead of the start of the Premier League season.
Fitness levels will have improved as a result of today’s run-out, but Sunderland’s new-look side lacked cohesion, something that will be required when they face West Ham for real in three weeks’ time.
They also failed to match Hearts for intensity, although that was perhaps understandable given that their opponents are at a more advanced stage of their pre-season preparations with the Scottish Premier League beginning next season.
The most interesting aspect of Regis Le Bris’ team selection at Tynecastle was the presence of Dan Neil in the starting line-up. The midfielder had failed to start either of Sunderland’s games in the Algarve, but he was back in the starting side in Edinburgh, with Habib Diarra dropping down to the bench.
The make-up of Sunderland’s midfield three for their opening Premier League game against West Ham will be fascinating, with Neil’s place under threat following the signing of Diarra and Noah Sadiki this summer.
Simon Moore also returned to the starting side this afternoon, replacing Blondy Nna Noukeu, who had been at fault for Sporting CP’s winner on the Algarve on Monday evening.
Anthony Patterson’s continued injury absence meant Moore was handed the task of replacing Nna Noukeu, but one of the goalkeeper’s first acts was to pick the ball out of the net 11 minutes in.
Hearts’ opener owed much to some sloppy Sunderland defending, with Braga finding himself completely unmarked eight yards out as he headed home Oisin McEntee’s right-wing cross.
Braga almost added a second a few minutes later after Sadiki’s sloppy pass handed the ball to Hearts deep in Sunderland territory, but his low shot was saved by Moore.
Sadiki came close himself on the half-hour mark, stabbing over after Enzo Le Fee’s corner made it to the back post, and the miss proved the precursor to Sidiki being replaced on the half-hour mark, with Diarra coming on.
Le Bris clearly wanted to mix-and-match his midfielders as Sadiki retuned to the field shortly after the hour mark, replacing Neil.
Sunderland’s inability to retain possession was a common thread whoever was on the pitch, with far too many of the visitors’ players giving the ball away cheaply.
Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra were spectators for the most part, offering little from the wide positions, and Hearts remained the more threatening side at the start of the second half as Shankland flashed a low drive just wide of the post.
Sunderland were their own worst enemies at times, most notably on the hour mark when a mix-up between Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins afforded James Wilson a run on goal, only for the Hearts substitute to be halted by a superb sliding challenge from Dan Ballard.
Defensively, it was a poor afternoon for the Black Cats, though, and some more lax marking enabled Hearts to claim a second goal in the 62nd minute.
No one picked up Shankland as a corner was played into his path on the edge of the box, and the Scotland international swept an excellent first-time finish into the bottom corner.
A third Hearts goal arrived with five minutes remaining, and from a Sunderland perspective, it was the worst of the lot.
Sadiki passed the ball straight to Kyziridis inside his own penalty area, and the Hearts substitute was left with the simple task of slotting past Moore.
SUNDERLAND (4-3-3): Moore; Hume (Tutierov 70), Ballard (J Jones 70), Seelt (Lavery 70), Huggins (H Jones 70); Sadiki (Diarra 31), Neil (Sadiki 63), Le Fee (Browne 70); Talbi (Aleksic 70), Mayenda (Abdullahi 70), Adingra (Roberts 70).