HARTBREAK

Spartak Trnava 1

Hearts 3

HEARTS midfield star Paul Hartley is almost certainly out of the c lub's Champions League debut.

The 29-year-old Scotland star flew out from the club's training camp in Windischgarsten in Austria to France on Saturday morning to consult a groin specialist.

The good news is the injury does not require surgery. But Hartley looks certain to miss the Champions League qualifying tie against opposition from Bosnia or Belarus on July 26.

Head coach Valdas Ivanauskas said: "Paul does not need a operation and he just needs to time to rest up and for it to heal.

"But I still expect he will miss the Champions League qualifying tie."

Hartley again watched from the stands yesterday as Hearts defeated Slovakian Superliga side Spartak Trnava in the second game of their Austrian tour.

Deividas Cesnauskis hit a double and urged the club to let him loose in the Champions League.

His haul against the Slovakians doubled his tally for the whole of last season but he reckons countryman Ivanauskas can only bring out the best in him.

He said: "It was a good game for me. Iscored the two goals which felt great.

"I hope to play a big part in the first team this season but there are good players in my position. I want to do everything to play regular first-team football and if I keep scoring I may stay in the team.

"I've been here for two years. I'm settled and we have the Champions League to look forward to.

"Every player wants to feature in that competition and not sit on the bench.

"Valdas was a good player and a huge hero of mine when he played for Lithuania.

"When we won the Scottish Cup the Lithuanian players and Valdas got their pictures taken for the newspapers back home. It was a big thing for us. I think every player at Hearts can learn from Valdas as he is a very good coach."

Cesnauskis hit a superb volley from just inside the box in 30 minutes after he met youngster Andrew Driver's cross from the left.

Six minutes later he struck again when he followed up to slot home after another cross from the impressive Driver. His delivery was headed towards the goal by Edgaras Jankauskas only for keeper Miroslav Hrdina to parry into the path of Cesnauskis who drove home from close range.

Ivanauskas gave trialists Tiago Cost a, Giorgi Popkhadze and Ales Urbanek 30 minutes with 19-year-old Georgian Popkhadze the best of the trio.

Substitute Mirsad Beslija hit his second of the tour when he fired home a Callum Elliot cross in 72 minutes.

But UEFA Cup qualifiers Trnava grabbed a consolation when Peter Duris' angled drive beat Steve Banks.

Ivanauskas was pleased with all his trialists and revealed Popkhadze had done his chances of earning a permanent deal no harm.

He said: "I thought all the trialists did very well. Giorgi showed he is a good player. If he keeps working hard who knows what the future holds."

HEARTS - Banks, Neilson (Costa 60), Fyssas (Popkhadze 60), Pressley, Berra (Wallace 53), Brellier (Barasa 46), Driver (Urbankek 60), Cesnauskis (Beslija 60), Jankauskas (Makela 60), Aguiar, Elliot.

Taken from the Daily Record