Sparta Prague 0 - 0 Hearts

Hearts had hoped to make a big impression on European football this season but instead have been found wanting.
Their matches against foreign opposition have turned out to be learning experiences and club owner Vladimir Romanov was asking too much to think his team were going to make a big impression.
Now is the time for the Tynecastle club to regroup and concentrate on having a decent domestic season.

Their Champions League exit at the hands of AEK Athens and this UEFA Cup defeat over the two legs showed how much they have to learn on the European stage.
Hearts could be allowed for thinking what might have been if Jamie Mole had not passed up a glorious opportunity just after half-time. The young striker was one-on-one with Czech keeper Jaromir Blazek but shot at him with the goal at his mercy.
Although Hearts did well on the night, they lack the killer touch in front of goal and also rode their luck in the first half.

Romanov has admitted that the future of Valdas Ivanauskas is secure and he will be allowed time to build the team.
He has a good nucleus of players to do well in the Scottish Premierleague. In Europe, it is a bit of a different story.
When Craig Levein helped Hearts to the group stages of the UEFA Cup two seasons ago he played to his side's strengths, which meant he was not averse to playing high balls up to target men.
Ivanauskas has tried to play high-tempo, passing football. Although it looks good, he is coming up against far more technically efficient opposition players. What works for Hearts in Scotland, does not work for them in Europe against the better teams.

The damage against Sparta Prague was done in the home leg at Murrayfield, which they lost 2-0. It was always going to be an uphill task in the return in the Czech Republic and although Hearts put in a decent performance, Sparta were always in control.
They looked more comfortable on the ball and could even afford the luxury of missing a few gilt-edged chances. If it had not been for the superb organisation skills of Steven Pressley, who was sporting a huge white bandage after an early head knock, the floodgates could have opened.

Early on the home side laid siege to the Hearts goal. As Zdenek Prospech's header was cleared off the line by Paul Hartley and a Kisel deflected shot came back off the bar.
When opportunities did come the way of Hearts they showed no composure in front of goal. Deividas Cesnauskis also had two good chances, the more clear-cut coming when he blasted the ball over the bar with his left foot with the goal at his mercy.

Hearts competed well in the middle of the park with Hartley covering acres of ground but a lack of movement up front from Mole and Pinilla was a cause of frustration. Craig Gordon, the Hearts goalkeeper, was not badly tested over the piece and had a quiet 90 minutes apart from the early flurry from Sparta.

Playing against quality opposition will do the confidence of relatively inexperienced young players like Christophe Berra no harm at all.
Up front, Pinilla and Mole looked too lightweight. Roman Bednar is a more physical presence, which was shown by the amount of trouble he caused when he came on. Indeed, with only a few minutes left he shot narrowly over after creating space for himself in the box.

Sparta Prague (4-4-2) Blazek; Homola, Kadlec, Repka, Kisel; Kolar (Jun 86), Sylvestre, Pospech, Simak (Matusovic 64), Sivok; Dosek (Lustrinelli 74). Booked Dosek, Repka. Subs: Grigar, Drobny, Zabavnik, Hasek.
Hearts (4-4-2) Gordon; Neilson (Tall 66), Pressley, Berra, Wallace; Mikoliunas, Brellier, Hartley, Cesnauskis; Mole (Bednar 56), Pinilla (Aguiar 83). Booked Brellier. Subs: Banks, Beslija, Lithgow, Makela.
Referee Peter Sippel (Germany)

Taken from the Herald