Hearts 3-1 Rosenborg (agg 4-3): Scots earn Europa Conference League play-off place
- Published
Highlights: Hearts 3-1 Rosenborg (agg 4-3)
Hearts roared back from 3-1 down to clinch a Europa Conference League play-off with PAOK after a breathtaking contest with Rosenborg at a raucous Tynecastle.
Izak Thorvaldsson's early goal had Hearts in trouble after their 2-1 defeat in Norway, his second effort sneaking under Zander Clark after the goalkeeper initially made a sublime save.
However, Lawrence Shankland started the turnaround by delightfully dinking Hearts level on the night, timing his breakaway from the final line of defence perfectly.
Rosenborg were rattled, and Hearts capitalised swiftly in the second half as Cammy Devlin rippled the roof of the net from an acute angle after composed build-up play to level the tie at 3-3 on aggregate, before his deflected stoppage-time strike snatched an unlikely win.
Frankie McAvoy's side will now face Greek side PAOK, with the first leg at Tynecastle next Thursday.
The announcement minutes before kick-off that Tynecastle would be a sell-out was met with a rasping roar. One which stayed in the air until Clark was caught clasping as the ball trickled over the line, extinguishing the energy.
Hearts heads did not fall, though, and before Shankland's equaliser sparked bedlam, Yutaro Oda struck the woodwork with a thunderous effort rather than squaring to the loitering Liam Boyce.
Chances were squandered by Frankie Kent and Kye Rowles as the centre-backs meandered into promising positions up the other end. Nat Atkinson, though, stuck to his duty of defending, hooking the ball off the line after a messy episode.
Hearts seemed to be running out of puff and ideas as they allowed Rosenborg to regain their rhythm. Extra time, at the very least, seemed likely.
Then Devlin delivered yet again. Creating chaos, cries and cannot-believe-it scenes in the stands of a beyond-jubilant Tynecastle.
Player of the match - Cammy Devlin
It just has to be, doesn't it? What a shift from the Aussie
Perseverance pays off for tireless Hearts - analysis
Wow. Just wow. Hearts were slow starters but it was almost the kick into gear they needed. They soon looked like a team comfortable in this sort of arena.
That said, there was sloppiness from both sides, just like there was last week, but that provided Hearts with the confidence that Rosenborg were there for the taking.
Devlin may be diminutive, but he rose in stature here, taking responsibility and his chances in his stride.
The midfield trio wasn't quite ticking in the first half and it appears McAvoy and co are still not quite sure which combination works best.
Things will need to tighten up at the back for the visit of PAOK, but it seems harsh to criticise this gutsy Hearts side right now.
What they said
Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy: "I spoke about patience yesterday; even when we lost the early goal it wasn't a great start but that can happen. It's about how you recover.
"When you have support like that, they drove us on. We knew it would be a tough tie. Sometimes you need good fortune.
"A trip to Greece will be tough as well, but we've got to embrace these occasions."
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland: "We knew the objective was to win it, thankfully we've scored enough. It's a tough task [against PAOK], but we go again."
On reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, he added: "I live in the here and now. I enjoy nights like this and I'll keep enjoying it."
What's next?
Hearts are back at Tynecastle on Sunday, 20 August to face Partick Thistle in their first League Cup game of the season (14:00 BST).