De Vries double sees Hearts through

Braga 2-2 Hearts (Hearts win 5-3 on aggregate)
Hearts ensured the focus returned to events on the field when they booked their place in the group stages of the UEFA Cup.

The Tynecastle side headed into the second leg with a 3-1 win over Braga from the first game a couple of weeks ago but they were left reeling when Joao Tomas put the home side ahead.

But a double from Mark de Vries ensured Craig Levein's men remained on track to extend their European run and a late goal from Jaime proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal for Braga.

This game was almost in danger of becoming overshadowed by events off the field after it emerged that chief executive Chris Robinson was set to sell his shares to Lithuanian banker Vladimir Romanov.

Robinson opted not to fly out with the team yesterday, prompting speculation he had stayed behind in Edinburgh to complete the deal - and the sale was confirmed in a statement to the Stock Exchange early this morning.

The unpopular chief executive has long been the target of frustration by Hearts supporters for his plans to sell Tynecastle stadium to a property developer to ease the club's massive debts.

That has led to calls for Robinson's resignation and their wish was granted today when he revealed he would quit the post once the sale of his shares was complete.

He arrived in Portugal in enough time to take his place in the stand at the impressive Estadio Municipal de Braga - but by then the attention had turned to events on the field.

Hearts headed into the game with a 3-1 win from the first leg and head coach Craig Levein produced a couple of trump cards when it was revealed that de Vries had taken a painkilling injection to take part in the game despite being ruled out the day before.

Another surprise inclusion was Ramon Pereira - expected to be sidelined with an ankle injury - who took a place on the bench.

Braga who got off to the best start and they left Hearts reeling after 13 minutes when Tomas grabbed the opening goal.

Wender's cross found Tomas at the back post and he flicked over Craig Gordon's head from just a few yards out.

Braga were clearly boosted by the goal but Hearts refused to become despondent and went in search of a goal of their own in the hope of restoring a comfortable aggregate lead again.

Fortunately for them, their hard work quickly paid off when de Vries grabbed the equaliser on the night after 27 minutes.

The decision to gamble on the big Dutchman paid off when he collected a long ball from Gordon before surging past defender Paulo Jorge. He nipped into the box before trying to chip the ball over the Braga goalkeeper.

But Paulo Santos kicked the ball straight off de Vries in an attempt to clear the danger, allowing the player to send the ball into the back of the net in off the inside of the post.

Hearts surged into the lead just two minutes after the restart.

De Vries proved to be the danger man again when he tried his luck with an opportunist drive from just outside the area and the shot took a slight deflection past the Braga goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Braga had warned ahead of the first leg that they would be willing to use any tactics to win their place in the group stages and that became apparent when Wender claimed he had been brought down in the box by Patrick Kisnorbo - but his appeals failed to bring the penalty he was hoping for.

The Portuguese side returned to more conventional means of trying to find the back of the net when Tomas tested the Hearts goalkeeper with a close-range header - but Gordon never looked troubled.

Only a quick reaction from Robbie Neilson prevented Braga grabbing a second goal with 15 minutes to go when he hooked Cesinha's shot off the line - but the Portuguese side found the back of the net seconds later when Jaime bundled the ball over the line. He

could have added to his own tally a few minutes later when he bulleted a shot at goal only for the long-range effort to take a deflection and fall just wide of the target.

But, by then, there was no real chance of Braga preventing Hearts booking their place in the group stages of the UEFA Cup.

Levein: 'Braga coach motivated us'

Hearts head coach Craig Levein insists his players were so furious at comments made by the Braga coach that they were even more determined to dump them out of the UEFA Cup.

The Hearts boss said: 'The players take great satisfaction from proving to the Braga coach that we are a good side. We played the game on the field and he played the game with his mouth.

'He was disrespectful to our team. We won the first leg 3-1 and he should have said that we deserved to win because it's true.

'But he said that we were a poor team and that he didn't like the style of football we play.

'All he did was make my players very angry. We saw tonight 11 players who are determined and who will work hard and they can beat a team of 11 very good players.

'The players read his comments himself and they were disgusted by his behaviour.

'We haven't played a lot of games in European football but normally the coaches are respectful to each other and each other's teams but he wasn't.

'I think that made a difference to the result. The players asked me to say this - that they were annoyed.'

Hearts were left reeling when Braga took the lead through Joao Tomas but a double from Mark de Vries ensured a smooth passage to the group stages despite a Jaime goal later in the game.

De Vries had been ruled out of the game through injury but he took a painkilling injection 15 minutes before kick-off so he could play - and the gamble paid off.

Levein insists it was the player's own determination to play a part in the clash which led to him being unexpectedly named in the starting XI.

He added: 'I had ruled Mark out and I didn't think he had any chance but yesterday he felt like he could train. He was in a lot of pain but was willing to take the injection to play in the game.

'It was very courageous and I'm grateful he played because he did make a difference.

'It was his decision, he made the decision that he wanted to play and I didn't have to ask him.

'Ramon Pereira also took an injection and it just shows that there are a lot of players who want to play for the club and that is important.'

Ferreira claimed after the game that his comments about the Hearts players after the first leg was simply a way of motivating his own players.

He said: 'Hearts are a good team and of course I have respect for them but I know my own players and I know what I have to say to them.'