Hearts narrowly lost out to Cercle Brugge on Conference League duty with Lawrence Shankland wasting a late penalty.
The home side tried to be aggressive in their start but it was Shankland who had the first proper effort, a comfortable hold for Maxime Delanghe.
Craig Gordon had to make a couple of saves, the best of which came from Gary Magnee and Shankland then tried to cheeky flick at the other end which wasn’t too far away.
Brugge drew first blood just before half-time and there was an element of fortune about it. The ball was worked to Malamine Efekele and he didn’t catch his strike properly at all, inadvertently wrongfooting Gordon and finding the bottom corner.
Thibo Somers should have had the visitors further in front on 56 minutes when he met a free header in the box but guided it harmlessly off target.
The introduction of Blair Spittal allowed him to continue his partnership with James Penrice and the pair combined to set up glorious opening for Kenneth Vargas, who shot tamely at the goalkeeper.
There was an even bigger opportunity when a VAR check for a double handball in the box resulted in a Hearts penalty. But the Shankland drought continued as he smashed the spot kick over the bar.
Salt was rubbed into the wounds when a Magnee strike from outside the box was deflected past Gordon by Daniel Oyegoke and that was the last word.
Hearts still blunt in attack
Hearts created a decent number of promising openings for an away game in Europe. They didn’t really come close to scoring any of them.
Too often they finished with tame efforts right at the goalkeeper or didn’t even get that far.
The decision making needs to be better at times and when it is there a bit of conviction is needed in the finish.
That’s now four games played with just one goal scored and they’ve only found the net five times in their last seven.
Lawrence Shankland and Kenneth Vargas are low in confidence and alternatives are required. James Wilson looks a big prospect but is still only 17.
Really not happening for Shankland
When the Hearts skipper had the chance to find the net from 12 yards he and plenty others would have seen it as his chance to get off and running again.
That he blazed it way over just summed up how things have been going for him.
He looked gutted and while it had looked like his confidence couldn’t get any lower, it now will be.
Neil Critchley could really do with giving him a rest, but the failure of the previous regime to add further options in the transfer market means he isn’t able to.
Still in Hearts’ hands
Despite the defeat, Hearts are in a reasonable position in the Conference League.
They will be heavy favourites to beat Moldovans Petrocub on the final day and also have the trip to Copenhagen from which they could generate further points.