What was on Lawrence Shankland’s mind before both Hearts penalties.

Last season, Lawrence Shankland had to wait until the end of September to finally get the monkey off his back.

Even so, his first Heart of Midlothian goal in 2024/25 came deep into injury time and with a stroke of luck.

The 29-year-old would only score nine goals during the season, which was a low figure by his own standards. That came after 59 goals in the previous two seasons, giving Hearts fans something they’d been missing for years:

a prolific No.9. While it is far too early to predict how things will play out this season, he did not give the monkey enough time to prepare for its run-up. This is despite Shankland failing to net in two pre-season outings, including most recently in an 8-0 win over East Kilbride behind closed doors.

On Saturday, after hitting the post before James Wilson’s opener, he scored twice from the penalty spot in the second half of a 4-1 Premier Sports Cup victory over Dunfermline Athletic. These were his 69th and 70th goals for Hearts.

Goals from the penalty spot, rather than open play, are regarded as a less reliable method of measuring goalscoring ability, as they provide an easy opportunity to score. But there was a lot going on in Shankland’s head, especially at the beginning.

The striker hasn’t taken a penalty since that fateful night in Bruges, when his skied effort denied Hearts a point and, ultimately, a place in the group stages – though many other factors contributed to their failure to advance beyond Shankland’s missed opportunity.

“I think the last penalty I hit was in Bruges, and my brain kindly reminded me of that when I put the ball down!” replied the player.

“So I was probably so focused on keeping the ball down for the first one that I didn’t catch it right, but it was right in the corner. When they hit the net, you’re always pleased.”

And there has never been any doubt that Shankland wants to step up; he simply hasn’t had the opportunity since. He went on to say, “I’ve never refused to take a penalty shot. It’s obviously disappointing to miss them, but this isn’t the first time I have.

“It was all about that night [in Bruges] and the season, how it was going at the time. That blew it out of proportion, but I have no doubts; my overall record from the penalty spot is good, and I’m always confident in my ability to step up, so no worries.

“This competition also allows you to try and get games and goals under your belt, so I was confident I could do so on Saturday. I had a chance right away, but I hit the goalie, and nothing else happened.

“There were a couple of moments where the last bit just let us down, but when the penalties came about I was keen to hit them and thankfully I put them away.”

Shankland knew exactly where he was going to put his first penalty. For the second, he wasn’t so sure and, contrary to popular belief, made his decision during the run-up.

There was also the added pressure of Dunfermline’s Deniz Mehmet between the sticks, who he previously worked with at Dundee United. After sending Mehmet the wrong way in the first, Shankland repeated the mistake in the second, blaming his decision on “instinct”.

“It just felt right at the time and if I’m being honest, I took two steps towards the ball and I was kind of thinking, ‘where am I going here?'” he told me.

“But I think when you’re on a second penalty, it’s a little bit of a mind game between you and the keeper, and I’ve played with Mehmet at Dundee United before, so he knows me. “He gambled on me opening up twice, and I just managed to wrap my foot around it at the last minute, so it’s great to see it go in.

“I even considered changing and letting someone else hit, because it was the first game. However, the opportunity to get a second was too good.

I’m just glad it hit the back of the net.” Substitute Stephen Kingsley completed the scoring late on, putting Hearts in a strong position in Group E. The next stop is Hamilton Academical in Cumbernauld. John Rankin’s side also got off to a winning start over the weekend, defeating Stirling Albion 2-0 at Forthbank Stadium, where Hearts will play this Saturday.

Following the win over Dunfermline, Hearts manager Derek McInnes stated that players are still working at 60-70 percent of their potential at this point in the season as they improve their match sharpness.

Overall, the Gorgies delivered a strong performance, but there were some concerns. There were points in the second half, with the scores tied, when the away team posed a threat.

Shankland, too, believes too much can be read into pre-season performances. “It’s really early stages, it’s the first game and I know it’s competitive, but there’s still a pre-season feel for boys and they’re still trying to find that match sharpness and fitness,” he told ESPN.

“These games can be over-analyzed because they are competitive, and it’s good to have that competitive edge, but you can’t be too harsh on people at this point in the season.”

“They’re still looking for that fitness and sharpness, as I mentioned.

I believe we will get there; bouncing back was a good response. “Dunfermline brought a large crowd today, and to their credit, it gave the game the feel of a cup tie, which helped both the tie and the game. “Of course, there were a few times when they felt a little on top and the crowd was right behind them, but I believe it was because of this that they committed a few bodies forward, which is where we were able to punish them and get the break through penalties.

“That swung the game in our favour. The scoreline may be a little harsh in terms of how it reads, but a win is more important, and we can be satisfied with that.” Shankland, a member of a front four that McInnes instructed his players to locate quickly, was the attack’s focal point.

Playing in the centre and close to the goal. Wilson was alongside him, while Alan Forrest played on the right and Claudio Braga on the left.

According to Shankland, the Portuguese has made a “bright start” by impressing in training. He emphasised that new signings, particularly those from abroad, require time to settle in.

“It’s up to me [as captain], but it’s up to all the boys to make these boys feel welcome,” according to Shankland. “I’ve been there myself, and I’ve walked into a foreign changing room, and it can be intimidating at first, but we’ve got a really good group here, a really welcoming group, and that’s been the case for everyone who’s joined the club since I’ve been here.

“So I’m sure the boys will settle in no time; even the boys who have just arrived, they already feel a part of it, which is good; it’s a good changing room, so I’m sure they’re looking forward to it.”

“There’s been a lot of change from the end of the season last year, maybe it was disappointing it didn’t go how we wanted it to go, but it’s important you draw a line under that and you move on, and I feel we’ve done that, we’re in a good place, we’ve got a good pre-season behind us, and hopefully we can go and finish this group stage strong and then go it into the league in a good place.”

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