Nordsjaelland strike late to earn a point at Tynecastle
Hearts so desperately crave progression to the knock-out stages of the Conference League, but their quest to start this campaign with a bang faltered late on.
Going into the final five minutes 1-0 up against Danish side Nordsjaelland at Tynecastle thanks to Oisin McEntee's 33rd-minute opener, they could not withstand severe pressure from the visitors and deflected Nicklas Rojkjaer effort ensured a share of the spoils.
It was a fair reflection of an entertaining clash in Gorgie, with both teams committed to playing attractive football. Time will tell if a point at home against the Danes will prove valuable or not.
Hearts still have to go to Trabzonspor, Thun and Pafos. Monaco and Borac Banja Luka are due to visit Edinburgh. Eight points is normally the magic number to clinch a play-off position in the Conference League. Tougher matches are on the horizon.
This is Hearts' third attempt to reach the knock-out stages of the Conference League in the past five years. They last graced this stage in 2024 and started it with two victories against Dinamo Minsk and Omonia. They were heavily favoured to progress to the knock-out stages but badly fluffed their lines, failing to beat Petrofac on the final day to ensure qualification. It was a missed opportunity.
Hearts are better equipped to take the next step this time around, and at times played some enthralling football. Head coach Wouter Vrancken will surely lament his team's profligacy at the end of the first half, when they were dominant and failed to build upon their advantage.
This was Nordsjaelland's first competitive trip to Scotland since 2008, when they were drawn against Queen of the South in the Europa League and played them at New Broomfield in Airdrie, prevailing 2-1. Hearts offered a far sterner test.
There was little between the two teams early on as they jabbed away at each other. As they do under Vrancken, Hearts harried hard and looked to win the ball back in Nordsjaelland's final third, with the Danes looking to play through the press and feed their dangerous 19-year-old Prince Amoako Jnr wide left, who is a full Ghanaian internationalist.
Amoako Jnr had the first proper sight of goal on 12 minutes, but a lunging block from Malachi Fagan-Walcott deflected the ball away. Then a weak punch from Hearts keeper Beau Reus wasn't properly seized upon by Juho Lahteenmaki, whose weak header was scrambled away.
A tantalising cross from Calvin Miller on 21 minutes just evaded both the unmarked Claudio Braga and Josh McPake, before Amoako came so close to opening the scoring when he broke free and fizzed a shot off the base of the post.
The miss was to prove costly as Hearts nosed in front on 33 minutes. Laurent Mendy hooked the ball into the air from a corner, Jamie McCart flicked it towards goal and McEntee showed greater desire than Runar Norheim and prodded the ball home from close range.
The goal gave Hearts belief and they finished the first half strongly. They had three excellent chances just before the break to double their lead. First Braga slashed off target after a good through ball from Christian Borchgrevink, then Nordsjaelland keeper Andreas Hanssen made a fine double save from McEntee and McCart, and then the keeper plunged to his left to tip a netbound effort from McPake.
A second goal before the break would likely have killed off the Danes, but they regrouped after the break, showing far greater composure on the ball. Nevertheless, McPake passed up a golden chance to make it 2-0 on 54 minutes when Lahteenmaki sliced his clearance, allowing the winger to burst through. His shot slide past the post.
A minute later, the previously underworked Reus made himself big to stop Alexander Lind as he bore down on goal, while Harry Milne's excellent sliding block from 12 yards out thwarted the same player as Nordsjaelland enjoyed a period of supremacy.
Reus again proved his worth with another good save, reacting quickly to stop a deflected Amoaka Jnr effort on 71 minutes. Just before that, Vrancken had taken off Braga, who was on the cusp of getting a second yellow card with some over-exuberant challenges.
Fagan-Walcott so nearly gave the two-goal cushion so desperately craved on 74 minutes, but his header from a Miller free-kick drifted agonisingly wide.
Nordsjaelland were now pouring forward in search of a leveller. They finally broke Hearts' resistance on 86 minutes. The ball was worked to Rojkjaer at the edge of the penalty box and his shot took a wicked deflection off McCart and beat a stranded Reus. It sucked the life out of Hearts.
Vrancken's side will need to regroup fast. A trip to Celtic Park awaits on Sunday, their first since losing the Premiership there in heartbreaking fashion, before a long journey to Trabzonspor to face Mo Salah and Co. The big games come thick and fast.