Neil Critchley watched his Hearts side lose a third straight Conference League game and then admitted Copenhagen were on a different level.
The Jambos’ chances of qualifying for the play-off stage, for the chance of then going to the last 16, go down to the last game against Petrocub.
Copenhagen outclassed Hearts on the night but took until early in the second half to take the lead, the visiting defence switching off to allow Amin Chiakha to break the deadlock.
Kevin Diks later scored the second from the penalty spot but it was a decision that has angered the Tynecastle club after a VAR check overruled referee Andrea Colombo’s initial feeling that the foul was the other way.
Hearts fans bemoaned the referee for that but were also critical of their own team’s approach to the game.
Critchley gives take on Hearts defeat in Copenhagen
However manager Critchley insists his team were simply up against a team that were on another level – but points out they managed to stay in the game until that dodgy call from the officials.
The Englishman admits his players’ deficiencies were shown up against a better class of opposition.
But any chance they had of executing a plan to get back level was taken away by that VAR intervention.
Critchley told Hearts TV: “A very difficult game for us. They proved this was our toughest game, playing against really good opposition.
“You have a plan to try and take the game to them and you know you’re going to have to be organised and suffer sometimes but you want to try and hurry them up and turn the ball over.
“When we did decide to have a press they’re good at playing around you and through you and that can then be difficult. But we kept going right to the end.
“They were the better team and deserved to win the game but at 1-0 we’re still in the game. And a really poor decision has taken away a chance for us to have a real go at the end of the game.
“I’d spoken about that half time and planned what we were going to do and then when it’s 2-0 the game is done. A really poor decision has taken that chance away from us.”
Asked if it was case of holding your hands up and admitting the better team won, he went on: “Yeah it is, you have to hold your hands up. Sometimes it is the level you’re playing at.
“Tonight they played the game on a different level. In these games everything gets exposed – your technical quality, your intelligence on and off the ball, physicality.
“They had an advantage and unfortunately we weren’t able to bridge that.”
Frankie Kent Hearts injury update
Worryingly for Hearts, Frankie Kent went off injured on what was his return after picking up a problem with his quad against Aberdeen.
It could mean a defensive crisis ahead of facing Kilmarnock on Sunday with Craig Halkett missing out tonight.
Asked if Kent’s was a recurrence of the same issue, Critchley said: “Yeah, it looked like that. It’s too early to say now but he said he was feeling his quad.
“Obviously coming off and losing him is not ideal so we just have to hopefully keep our fingers crossed and see how he is.”