Hearts 2 Dinamo Zagreb 0, agg 2-4

The odds were stacked heavily against them but the Edinburgh club went for the jugular from the first whistle and Michael Stewart’s opening goal, although practically donated by the visitors, was no more than they deserved.

Goalkeeper Tomislav Butina inexplicably threw the ball out to Milan Badelj, idling 30 yards out with his back to the play. Stewart stole in behind him to pick his pocket and ran on to slide the ball home, left-footed, from 15 yards.

Hearts came agonisingly close to a second goal ten minutes later when Gary Glen’s knock-down from a David Obua header found Stewart in space but the midfielder’s right-footed half-volley was deflected on to the crossbar by an outstanding block from Badelj.

Butina’s uncertainty led to a corner which wasn’t dealt with and, although there was no power in Marius Zaliukas’ half-hit shot, it caught Butina flat-footed and trundled into the net.

The goalkeeper managed to parry a point-blank header from Ismael Bouzid but even that was more a case of poor decision making by the defender, who could have created a third by heading the ball back across goal for Zaliukas.

Janos Balogh, for his part, kept the home side in it with three superb saves when Zagreb countered: however, Ugandan winger David Obua spurned excellent opportunities at the beginning and end of the match and Hearts exited the Europa League.

Hearts (4-4-2): Balogh; C. Thomson, Zaliukas, Bouzid, Goncalves; Suso, Stewart, Palazuelos (Black 83), Obua; Nade (Smith 55), Glen (Driver 60). Subs: Kello (g), Kucharski, Novikovas, J Thomson. Booked: Stewart.

Dinamo Zagreb (4-4-2): Butina; Lovren, Biscan, Barbaric, Carlos; Sammir Tomecak 68), Vrdoljak, Badelj, Morales (Calello 87); Papadopolous (Slepicka 89), Mandzukic. Subs: Locaric (g), Kramaric, Glavina, Sivonjic. Booked: Barbaric, Lovren.

Referee: K Kircher (Germany).

Taken from telegraph.co.uk