MURRAYFIELD FLIT WASN'T TO BLAME FOR OUR EURO DISASTER

CRAIG GORDON last night denied shipping out of Tynecastle cost Hearts their chance of Euro glory.

The Jambos' decision to switch the Champions League qualifier with AEK Athens to Murrayfield to cash in on a bigger crowd was called into question by many, including striker Edgaras Jankauskas.

And the Greeks seemed to love the wide open spaces of the huge pitch as they dominated for long spells in their last-gasp 2-1 win.

But Scotland No.1 Gordon insisted Hearts DIDN'T lose the intimidation factor and claimed the atmosphere in the half-empty rugby ground matched anything the punters could have produced at their Gorgie home.

And he's only sorry they've blown their chance to get back there in the group stages and see some 40,000-plus crowds turn up.

Craig said: "The atmosphere was fantastic. The noise when we scored matched anything Tynecastle could have produced - it was deafening.

"The fans were magnificent and right behind us despite us being under pressure in the first half.

"And up until 60 minutes we looked like we were the dominant team in the second half.

"We could have had 40,000 there with the right results so it's disappointing we didn't give them the score they deserved in the home leg.

"The fans paid a lot of money to see us and gave great backing. I don't think the size of the pitch was a factor either.

"If you go to Celtic Park, Ibrox or Hampden the pitches are the same and we've played well on them. We never really thought about the size of the park.

"We can play football as well and the diagonal balls were on all night for us."

The only ball that mattered though, was the one that nestled in the back of Gordon's net two minutes into injury time to put the tie effectively beyond their reach.

Christophe Berra's deflection was the cruellest finale imaginable on a night that looked like being backs-to-the-wall glory for the Jambos.

The 21-year-old stopper's desperate lunge at Nikolaos Lymperopoulos' injury-time shot deflected the ball heart-breakingly away from the grasping fingers of Gordon.

And the keeper insists if the Scotland Under-21 defender hadn't snaked out his boot they'd be going over to the Greek capital with a 1-1 draw.

He said: "I thought I had the original shot covered and fancied myself to save it. But it took a massive deflection and Christophe was so unlucky trying to block the shot. "You see them week-in week-out, a nick is all it takes.

"Your stomach hits the floor when it happens because there's nothing you can do. But we'll recover, we'll get our heads up okay.

"We'd worked hard for our lead as well. AEK are a quality side but we kept them at arm's length for a long time.

"They'd had a lot of long shots but not much more.

"Our position is not impossible. We have to go there and believe.

"Still, we're under no illusions and know it will be a massive task to score two goals at least.

"Even at 1-1 we would have been reasonably happy, knowing we had to score one - but scoring two? We'll give it our best shot."

Hearts skipper Steven Pressley was also refusing to let his European dream die after just one half of the tie - but also refused to point the finger of blame at his defensive partner Berra.

Elvis shrugged: "If you look at the start to the season he's made, Christophe's been fantastic.

"He's a young lad with a great future.

"There'll be no problems picking him up at all. He did terrific against AEK as well and game by game he's grown. I've got no concern about him.

"Yes, the deflection was a sickener -but that's football.

"I can assure him right now there will be plenty more on the road ahead."

Pressley, who was immense in the midweek clash, reckons that while it took just two mad minutes to hammer

Hearts' hopes it needs only two moments of magic in Athens to resurrect them.

And the defiant skipper reckons Paul Hartley is the miracle man they need.

The Scotland inspiration's absence from the Jambos' engine room stuck out like a sore thumb as AEK Athens' fiveman midfield dominated much of the tie.

Debut boy Christos Karipidis and red-card sinner Bruno Aguiar toiled protecting the back four and never got to grips with playmaker Emerson running the show from deep.

But they weren't just short on quantity against AEK's superior numbers where it mattered - they were short on quality without Hartley and Julien Brellier.

With Hartley due back before the return leg in 10 days' time though, Elvis reckons he carries their ONLY hope of one of the great European comebacks.

He said: "It could take two inspirational set plays to change the game, turn it on its head.

"And with Paul back?

"He's capable of that. He's a key player.

"Although we've had a great start to the season we miss his influence when he's not there.

"It would be fantastic to see him back. We need at least two goals to progress but can't be cavalier.We've 90 minutes and all it takes is two moments of magic.

"We can't go gung ho but we do have to be positive.

"Remember some of our better European performances in recent years have been away from home, like in Basle and Bordeaux, so there's still hope."

The difference is though, neither of those games, nor their superb display in Braga, came against sides with quite so much quality as AEK.

And Pressley admits they were caught on the hop on Wednesday night, despite thinking they'd done all the homework they needed on the Greeks.

Expecting them to sit in and soak up what the Jambos threw at them, then trying to break out, instead Hearts found themselves chasing shadows as their super-slick opponents took the game by the throat from the first minute, picking gaps in Hearts' set-up almost at will.

And for the first time in ages, Pressley confessed the Jambos failed to intimidate a side. Elvis sighed: "They started positively and put us on the back foot.We'd watched videos and they had liked to counter attack.

"That's what we expected from them but they were positive and technically very good.

"They were physically strong as well.

In other ties we've shown a physical presence and BULLIED teams at times - but they stood up to that.

"Alot of their play goes through Emerson. He's excellent, huge for them.

"But that's European football for you. Sometimes you have to let other sides have good possession then break it down for yourselves.

"At times in the first half we gave the ball away cheaply but were still unlucky not to get a positive result."

Elvis reckons Hearts need to show courage in the return leg.

He said: "They're a good side but I thought we showed a lot of steel.

"We didn't play great football but showed resilience. "It took us an initial 20 minutes to find our feet and after the goal we were on top for the first time and gaining momentum.

"The fans were off their seats.

"But Aguiar's sending off turned the whole game.

"And after putting so much in and looking like we could get a fantastic result to take to Athens we find ourselves with a mountain to climb.

"But it can be done."

Taken from the Sunday Mail