Dejected Hearts playersSNS

Two second-half headers condemned Hearts to defeat

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

Bundesliga side Heidenheim edged out Hearts at a raucous Tynecastle to maintain their 100% record in the Conference League and end that of their hosts.

The Edinburgh side sit second bottom of the Scottish Premiership, but dictated play against their German visitors in the first half without finding the way to goal.

After suffering nearly an hour of pressure, Heidenheim found the goal that overcame Neil Critchley's side when Sirlord Conteh cushioned a header beyond Craig Gordon after a blistering attack.

The hunt for the equaliser was timid, and in a rinse and repeat move for the visitors, Jan Schoppner glanced in to silence the home fans.

While that ensured defeat, home head coach Critchley told BBC Scotland: "I wasn't disappointed with how we played; I'm just disappointed with the result.

"When you're on top you have to make sure you take those chances and be clinical and unfortunately we've not done that."

Despite Hearts’ dominance before the break, Frank Schmidt’s side had threatened earlier when Craig Gordon’s weak punch left a gaping goal for Lennard Maloney to head into.

However, Malachi Boateng raced back to hook the goal-bound effort off the line and save Gordon’s blushes on his 300th appearance for the club.

It was a near perfect first-half performance from Hearts, full of bravery, bright sparks and brilliance. All that was missing was a goal.

Lawrence Shankland – whose tally for the season remains at one – squandered a few near things, while Blair Spittal and James Penrice skewed shots from decent areas.

That was the story of the night for Hearts, who drop points in this competition for the first time this season.

Heidenheim’s story is something of a fairytale, and their impressive victory in the Scottish capital is just the latest chapter in their chronicles.

Case of opportunity missed

European exploits have been a welcome distraction for Hearts this season, given their dismal start domestically has them languishing at the foot of the Premiership.

They continued that trend in a relentless first-half performance where they pulled their German visitors across the pitch.

They were particularly good down the left, where Penrice and Yan Dhanda stretched Schmidt’s side and tore down to the byeline.

Critchley’s side held a high line and delivered waves of attack but lacked a clinical edge time and time again.

That's been the story of Shankland's season. As each game goes by, he looks more and more of a player playing with an unmanageable weight on his shoulders.

If he's not scoring, Hearts aren't scoring. And Shankland is a shell of the star striker we've become accustomed to.

Everything he touched turned to goals last season, this season, everything is ending up anywhere bar the back of the net.

Miracle rise reaches another height

With no disrespect, few in Gorgie knew much of Heidenheim when Hearts were drawn with the Germans.

As matchday creeped closer, the miracle of their rise from the second tier to their special season last term made its way to the forefront of conversations between those with a maroon mindset.

This is a side who are used to defying odds, not having the expectations of tens of thousands on their shoulders and going under the radar.

In the first half, they appeared spooked by the show Hearts and their fans put on. Fairly understandable.

But, the Germans bided their time, got in unscathed at the interval and started afresh in the second half.

There was a composure and clinical edge about their play which their hosts could only wish for. Both goals were ruthless and rapid, much like their rise.

Few in Scotland knew of them before this, but many may be looking out for them now as Schmidt's side sit pretty for the play-offs.

What they said

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley: "It was arguably as good as the Omonoia game, we just didn't take our chances when we were on top and when that happens, you always run the risk of being punished and we were by two minutes of real quality.

"The game is not always going to follow the same pattern for 90 minutes when you're playing against good teams.

"It would be foolish and naive of us to think at half-time we would just come out and the same things were going to happen."

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland told TNT Sports: "A good opposition. A good challenge for us. Overall, the performance was good. I created enough chances and I should've put them away. That's disappointing.

"The first half was gung-ho at times. They were good in possession and kept us running. We came back into it in the second half and we finished strong."

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