THE gods smiled on Hearts when they planted one foot in the final qualifying round for the Champions League at Murrayfield last night.

An own goal, a belated strike from Senegalese midfielder Ibrahim Tall - who wasn't even supposed to be playing in the first place - and the gift of a goal to Roman Bednar with six minutes left makes the trip to Mostar for next week's return leg more or less a formality.

Only a fatalistic pessimist would bet against the Scottish Cup-holders blowing such an advantage against a side they had the better of from the off but couldn't bury until they had worn them down both physically and psychologically.

Now Hearts can afford to dream of Liverpool, Ajax, Arsenal and AC Milan - to name but a few - in the third qualifying round.

The Jambos might have put their supporters through an emotional wringer in the first place - and there were times when the fans yearned for an attacking presence such as Paul Hartley to be free of the injury that kept him out - but their perseverance and the assistance of a slightly naive set of visitors put Hearts all but through in front of the biggest crowd to watch the club at home in a European tie for 46 years.

Before kick-off they were served a reminder that there was work to be done before they could take their place among Europe's elite.

The stadium DJ was refused permission to work the crowd into a frenzy by playing the stirring Champions League anthem. Only teams who have made it to the first group stage are granted that privilege by UEFA.

The Jambos had to make do with Ring of Fire, by Johnny Cash's.

Murrayfield was bathed in a carnival atmosphere, with fans packing surrounding hotels and pubs for pre-match beers and barbeques.

But it was a working day for a home team slightly disrupted by the loss of Julien Brellier from their midfield.

Tall took his place in a rejigged engine room, with Brellier on the bench.

The news that Hearts kid Calum Elliot had scored the goal that took Scotland's Under-19 side into the final of the European Championship in Poland was also broadcast to the crowd in the hope it would be a good omen and stir his colleagues to secure the kind of result that would any danger from the return outing next week.

The hype worked and the Bosnians' goal immediately came under siege. A Neil McCann cross was flighted over the bar by Bruno Aguiar before Siroki had time to cross the halfway line.

McCann would have gifted the visitors a penalty if the Norwegian referee had noticed the striker handling the ball after Hearts had failed to clear a corner properly.

And it seemed every time McCann played a part, a heart-stopping incident would follow.

With 11 minutes gone, he headed the ball wide of an open goal after Deividas Casnauskis delivered a cross that evaded the defence.

Five minutes later McCann's headed knock-down to Edgaras Jankauskas found the striker with his back to goal but he got in a finish that was rising too steeply to avoid going over the bar.

Meanwhile, Craig Gordon was an innocent bystander.

The first quarter of the game passed without the keeper being asked to make a save in front of a crowd that was officially declared at 28,486 - more than vindicating the decision to move the game away from Tynecastle and vouching for Hearts' potential supporter base.

All the night lacked was a goal to soothe the nerves and put the fans at ease.

However, fate was refusing to accommodate them on a night when almost everything else was going their way against opposition who looked as if they were bound to concede if pressure persisted.

In 32 minutes Aguiar showed a lack of composure when he over hit a free-kick beyond a penalty box full of tall and eager colleagues and for the first time the thought occurred that the tension of the occasion might have been starting to get to the players as the first rumbling noises were heard from the stands.

The growling would have turned to strangulated cries if the wonderfully named Wagner Santos Lago had been an inch or two more precise with a free-kick that was a sharp intake of breath away from breaking the deadlock seven minutes before the break.

The demands of the occasion didn't tempt Ivanauskas to make changes for the second half.

The same team resumed the search for the elusive goal and the identical shock and awe approach was taken to the storming of the Siroki goal as it had been at the start of the game.

But when the breakthrough finally came after 54 minutes no one knew for certain who had scored it - but was a goal and no one of a Hearts persuasion could have cared less who was responsible.

The stadium announcer gave it to Tall, television said it was an own goal by Branimir Anic, while the Bosnians in the press box blamed Carvalho Andre Silva. Anic was officially named as the guilty party.

Crucially, the throw-in from Robbie Neilson that landed in a packed six-yard box was directed behind the Bosnian keeper in a manner that indicated further damage could be inflicted.

The Jambos were buzzing now and captain Steven Pressley came close with a header following another delightful cross from a free-kick.

Jankauskas and McCann were taken off and Saulius Mikoliunas and Michal Pospisil were handed the chance to add more goals.

Midway through the second half, Cesnauskis came closest of all when he set off on a mazy run past three defenders and directed the ball agonisingly past a post.

It was clearly a night to play havoc with the nervous system and with the prospect of another one to come next week in Bosnia. In 75 minutes Aguiar crashed a free-kick from 25 yards off Siroki's bar and the visitors escaped from what surely would have been a devastating blow.

As it turned out, it was merely a stay of execution for the Bosnians.

Four minutes later Tall drove the ball home from close range after mishitting his first attempt and boosted the Jambos' hopes that the return leg would be the gateway to the big names in Friday's draw.

And then, with six minutes left, Ivica Landeka's dodgy passback was siezed on by Bednar, who slotted the ball past the keeper and just about guaranteed Hearts safe passage into the big boys' playground.

MAN BY MAN

Craig Gordon 7
Avirtual spectator for most part but heart must have skipped a beat when Wagner Santos Lago's free-kick whistled inches wide of the top corner with Scotland's No.1 beaten.

Robbie Neilson 7
Dependable in defence and his long throw-in led to breakthrough goal.

Takis Fyssas 7
The only Jambo with Champions League experience, the Greek Euro 2004 winner turned in a solid defensive display and linked up well down the left with McCann.

Steven Pressley 8
Marshalled the defence superbly and rarely looked under pressure. Captain kept it simple at all times.

Ibrahim Tall 7
Given the unenviable job of replacing the influential Julien Brellier but warmed to the task and made a nuisance of himself for vital opening goal before going on to add the second.

Neil McCann 7
Lucky to survive a penalty scare after just seven minutes when he handled in the box. Should have buried first-half free header.

Bruno Aguiar 7
The Portuguese midfielder is a decent player and probed away in the engine room but it became a bit laboured at times.

Edgaras Jankauskas 5
Looks every inch the perfect prototype for a hitman but very much a hit-and-miss man on this evidence.

Roman Bednar.7
The Czech looked willing to bust a gut for the cause - unlike his strike partner - and capped his performance with a goal.

Deividas Cesnauskis 6
The Lithuanian has really upped his work rate, offering a good outlet on the right flank, but badly needs to work on his delivery.

Christophe Berra 7
Justified boss Valdas Ivanauskas' faith in selecting him. The Scotland Under-21 international did not look out of his depth despite the big occasion.

SUBS

Michal Pospisil 4
Replaced the ineffective Jankauskas after 58 minutes to link with fellow countryman Bednar up front.

Saulius Mikoliunas 4
Came on for McCann when Scotland internationalist had given his all.

Julien Brellier 2
Replaced industrious Aguiar for closing stages to shore up the midfield.

Not used - Banks, Mole, Neill, Driver.

Siroki Brijeg - Basic, Anic, Silic, Boris Pandza, Ivica Landeka, Lago, Carvalho (Papic 90), Gomes, Bubalo (Doci 59), Celson, Karoglan (Kovacic 84). Subs not used - Vasilj, Doci, Papic, Lukacevic, Kovacic, Studenovic, Dzidic.

Referee: Espen Berntsen (Norway).

Taken from the Daily Record