Hearts: Why Hearts are unbowed for turnaround task against PAOK in Greece
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Hearts 1-2 PAOK: Watch highlights of Europa Conference League play-off first leg
Defeated but not defeatist. Hearts emerged from a tumultuous night at Tynecastle with their European group-stage hopes damaged but their belief undimmed.
A salvage mission beckons at the hostile Toumba Stadium in Thessolina next Thursday and the Scottish Premiership side quaking aren't at the prospect. Rather, they're relishing it.
Head coach Frankie McAvoy defiantly proclaimed "the game is there to be won" and is adamant his side can overhaul the 2-1 deficit. "The players believe it as well. There wasn't a lot between the teams," he added.
Having traded early penalties, Hearts were in the ascendancy and seeking to regain the lead when Andrija Zivkovic ripped in a 25-yarder to settle the Conference League play-off first leg in PAOK's favour.
A stunning winner - but was it merited? Not according to former Hearts winger Neil McCann, who told BBC Scotland: "I don't think there was much in the game. Hearts showed enough to give themselves hope going over to Greece."
Fellow ex-Hearts player Michael Stewart added: "Hearts need to take belief and confidence from this game, although it will be difficult over there, they should be confident they can score.
"I don't think PAOK deserved to win, a draw would've been a fair result. They'll be delighted to come away with a win."
'Historic result' in Hearts' sights
Hearts' optimism stems from the chances they created and the manner of their performance against the slick Greeks.
In the end it came down to "fine margins", as striker Lawrence Shankland ruefully recognised.
The Hearts talisman, who opened the scoring from the spot, was denied by a splendid Dominik Kotarski save in the first half and a marginal offside call in the second after finding the top corner. On such moments are games won and lost.
"The offside goal, disappointed to get it chopped off then they go and score from 25 yards," said Shankland.
"The most important thing is we're still in the tie. Overall, we created enough. If we tidy up we can take that into next week."
Shankland is now one short of equalling John Robertson's record of seven European goals for Hearts. What better time to match it than the second leg?
"It'll be difficult over but we need to thrive on that and achieve a historic result for this club," he added.
Midfielder Cammy Devlin delivered another tigerish performance and revelled in the increasingly tetchy exchanges as both sides went at it full pelt.
Devlin has called on his side to harness their experience from last season - tough away assignments at Fiorentina and Istanbul Basaksehir in the groups - to summon an almighty performance in the searing Greek heat where the crowd will be baying for their demise.
"We play in a pretty great loud place every other week at Tynecastle. It's about us showing character, resilience and calmness next week. The game is played on the field, not in the stands," said the Australia international.
"Last year you walk off against Fiorentina and hold your hands up as they're a better team than us. But there's so much fire in the belly for us because we're not walking off that pitch tonight thinking we were battered by any stretch.
"There's such a togetherness in the group and the staff have us playing in a way we're all buying into to. Those experiences last year, we have to take them into next week. It's a massive game and hopefully those experiences will help."
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