Hearts drop the pressure for Bosnia

Hearts 3
Siroki Brijeg 0

HEARTS' status as Champions League novices has been proved to be conclusively false.

Last night's dismissal of the Bosnian league champions was as measured and unwavering as any you will see in Europe this season.

Rather than extend a trembling finger towards the panic button when half-time came and went with the scoreline blank - and no hint that a goal was likely to arrive - Hearts instead showed the kind of poise more akin to veterans of continental competition.

Their refusal to be hurried into a state of disorder as some home supporters resorted to booing on the club's first competitive outing of the season was admirable and laid a platform for the subsequent dismantling of a stuffy Siroki Brijeg side.

There was an apparent nervousness around Murrayfield before kick-off but also a detectable level of anticipation as Edinburgh welcomed the Champions League qualifying stages for the first time. Snippets of information on the visitors had been sporadic in the build-up, which also added to the intensity on a stiflingly hot evening.

Yet Hearts embarked upon their first-leg task with the minimum of fuss, retaining a composure and will throughout a dogged first 53 minutes until an own goal by Siroki Brijeg's Brazilian midfielder Carvalho Andre Silva dispersed the disquiet which had been gathering momentum in the stands.

Without overstating what was a solid and tidy performance, the mental strength evinced by the home players in effecting their victory would have been equally at home at the Velodrome or Schalke Arena as it was Murrayfield last night.

Valdas Ivanauskas managed to ensure his squad put aside their raw inexperience of the Champions League environment and the result was nothing if not convincing. Afterwards, it was revealed that the key word had been "patience".

"When we came in at half-time we felt they were looking a tired side," said Steven Pressley, "and, if we continued playing at the same tempo, eventually we would make the breakthrough. Thankfully we did that.

"It was very pleasing to see how patient we were and we spoke about that at half-time as well. Although we had made some chances and at times were only millimetres away from getting the opening goal, it was important that we didn't lose sight that the tie is over two legs and didn't need to be won here.

"We shouldn't forget that Siroki Brijeg are a very good side. They are the champions of Bosnia and I thought we gave a very professional performance ourselves. Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit for performances like this.

"It was extremely important that we kept a clean sheet because away goals are so important in European football. The job isn't done yet, but tomorrow is the mouthwatering draw for the next round and we'll all be watching with great anticipation."

Hearts' biggest crowd since 29,491 people watched them face Benfica back in 1960 arrived at Murrayfield to discover that the club's record signing, Mirsad Beslija, had no place in Ivanauskas' 18-man squad for the match.

His omission was somewhat perplexing for two reasons. The most obvious is that the Bosnian winger would have been blessed with more knowledge than anyone else at Tynecastle on his compatriots, and secondly statements from both the player himself and Ivanauskas seemed to indicate a more prominent role for Beslija this season than a seat in the stand.

Ibrahim Tall was thrust into the unusual position of defensive midfield with Frenchman Julien Brellier insufficiently fit to start the game but, otherwise, Hearts lined up as expected with Christophe Berra and Neil McCann in the starting 11.

Around 100 Siroki Brijeg followers - the self-styled Skripari - were grouped together in the main stand and afforded one of their loudest cheers of the night for the immaculately groomed Mrs Gabriella Pospisil as she took her seat prior to kick-off.

Seated nearby was the former Hearts midfielder Neil MacFarlane, now of Gretna, doubtless with a few thoughts of "I could have been out there" running through his mind. Paul Ritchie was another former Jambo who returned for the big occasion. Hearts enjoyed a sprightly beginning and were getting good mileage from both wingers, McCann and Deividas Cesnauskis, during the early period. In particular, the Lithuanian's pacy cross from the right flank on 11 minutes was headed wide by the diving Scot at the back post as the Siroki Brijeg goal gaped.

The pair combined again six minutes later in an almost identical move but this time McCann opted to nod the ball back across goal to Roman Bednar, whose shot on the turn was always rising over the bar. The early home dominance couldn't subdue the visiting support, however, as they continued to bounce around bare-chested with repeated renditions of their favourite chants.

On the pitch, the midfield area was still very much up for grabs as Bruno Aguiar and Tall toiled to gain a proper foothold in the proceedings.

Cesnauskis' supply from the right was by far and away Hearts' principal threat, aided courteously by Siroki's left-sided midfielder, Faria Gomes Gonielle, who was constantly out of position and refused to track his direct opponent back.

Wagner Santos Lago curled a free-kick wide from 20 yards as the first half died a slow death, the absence of Hearts' talisman Paul Hartley being all too evident for those in maroon. A different style of midfield player, Aguiar was not making the penetrating runs that are Hartley's hallmark and one of the team's most potent weapons.

The Portuguese was instead content to sit deep, often behind holding midfielder Tall, to collect balls from the back four and distribute them out wide. The patience on the pitch was not being reproduced in the stands and Hearts went up the tunnel to a round of boos at the interval. However, their resolute approach was justified just eight minutes after the restart.

With Robbie Neilson preparing to launch a long throw into the Siroki Brijeg penalty area, Steven Pressley ordered his full-back to wait until he had assumed a position directly in front of goalkeeper Tomislav Basic. The skipper's presence unsettled the visitors' defence resulted in Andre Silva glancing Neilson's throw past Basic via the right-hand post. The goal was mistakenly credited to Tall initially, but the Senegalese afforded himself a true moment of glory in the 79th minute. Minutes after Aguiar had rattled the Siroki goalframe with a vicious free-kick, substitutes Saulius Mikoliunas and Michal Pospisil combined before the Czech crossed low to Tall at the front post.

His initial connection was slight but having been granted a second attempt he calmly dispatched the ball past goalkeeper Basic at his near post, exposing one of the first rules of, well, basic goalkeeping.

When centre-back Ivica Landeka was short with a passback soon after, Bednar was vulture-like in latching on to it. One touch was all that was needed to roll the ball in for No.3 and cue wild celebrations trackside as the Czech ran instantly to the Hearts bench.

Ivanauskas, as is his way, remained thoroughly composed leaning on the side of the dugout whilst his delirious players piled on top of one another. The patience had paid off. There was no need to celebrate.
Heart-stopping names await at Nyon draw

WITH a second leg in Bosnia still to negotiate, it may be a touch premature for Hearts to begin fantasising about which alluring opponents may come their way in subsequent rounds of the Champions League.

Yet tomorrow in Nyon when the draw for the final qualifying round takes place, a crumpled bit of paper containing the name of the Edinburgh club will sit as proudly as any, albeit as one of two possibilities until the tie with Siroki Brijeg is concluded.

Hearts' prospective fate will be determined at noon Central European Time [11am UK], when draw is made for those clubs striving to mix it with the game's overlords in the group phase.

With continental heavyweights like AC Milan, Liverpool, Arsenal, Ajax and Valencia in the queue to join Europe's top-table, Hearts could be set to face one of the biggest challenges in the club's history.

These names provoke the realisation that the performance of a lifetime is likely to be necessary for Hearts to secure a way a place alongside group-stage regulars like Barcelona, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

The third qualifier is correctly an afterthought within Tynecastle for now as all thoughts remain trained on the Bosnian hurdle. Yet the list of Hearts' possible opponents also contains a handful of sides that could conceivably be overcome.

Slovan Liberec and Levski Sofia, champions of the Czech Republic and Bulgaria respectively, could be expected to offer a slightly less stringent challenge than some of their counterparts in tomorrow's draw. Takis Fyssas and Bruno Aguiar, for purely sentimental reasons, will hope for a reunion with Benfica, their former employers. But again, this would not necessarily be conducive to Hearts' intentions of progressing to the groups.

Siroki Brijeg provide enough to be going on with for now but Hearts fully intend to fry bigger fish as they lope towards their cherished destination and a possible cash windfall of between £7million and £10m.

Taken from the Scotsman