Hearts concede late leveller to draw at home to Nordsjaelland

Hearts suffered a frustrating start to their Conference League campaign as Nordsjaelland scored a late equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw in an entertaining encounter at Tynecastle.

The Jambos went ahead through Oisin McEntee’s close-range finish in the 33rd minute and had several chances to add to their lead.

But they lost their way in the closing quarter of the match and Nordsjaelland, fourth in the Danish Superliga, claimed a point through a deflected strike from Nicklas Rojkjaer.

Hearts must now pick themselves up for testing away matches against Celtic and Trabzonspor over the next week.

Boss Wouter Vrancken made two changes to the side that defeated St Mirren 5-0 on Saturday as Christian Borchgrevink and McEntee replaced Jordi Altena and the injured Ageu.

After a bright start from Nordsjaelland, the hosts had the first attempt of the match in the ninth minute when Malachi Fagan-Walcott, only added to Hearts’ European squad after Ageu sustained a training-ground injury on Tuesday, tested keeper Andreas Hansen with a firm strike from 20 yards out.

The visitors’ first chance came when Justin Janssen’s long pass sent Prince Amoako one-on-one with Fagan-Walcott and the Hearts defender did just enough to deflect the Ghanaian teenager’s effort beyond the far post.

Laurent Mendy then got back to deny Amoako from a similar area on the left of Hearts’ box and the resulting corner brought temporary panic for the home side before being scrambled away by Fagan-Walcott.

The game was wide open, with both sides intent on getting forward, and the hosts threatened when Calvin Miller’s inswinging cross from the right just eluded Claudio Braga and Josh McPake at the back post.

Hearts had a major let-off in the 22nd minute when Amoaka struck the far post with a low angled effort from eight yards out after slack play between Miller and McEntee allowed the visitors to spark another counter-attack.

After living dangerously early on, the Edinburgh started to get on top. McPake saw a strike from 20 yards saved by Hansen before captain Harry Milne’s low shot across the face of goal was deflected behind.

From the resulting corner, in the 33rd minute, Hearts made the breakthrough. After Miller’s delivery from the right was knocked into the air by Mendy, Jamie McCart nodded the loose ball towards goal and McEntee reacted fastest to ghost in and stab home from four yards out.

The Jambos finished the first half with a flourish and were unfortunate not to double their lead as Braga fizzed a shot just over from inside the box before McEntee and then McPake were denied by Hansen.

The chances continued after the break, with James Wilson volleying over and Miller denied by Hansen before McPake rolled a shot agonisingly wide after getting himself clean through.

The visitors remained a threat, however, and Hearts keeper Beau Reus had to make a couple of big saves to deny Alexander Lind and Amoako.

Hearts had been gradually retreating and Nordsjaelland got themselves level in the 86th minute when substitute Rojkjaer’s shot from just inside the box took a big deflection and eluded Reus.