Attack needs to sharpen up
Lawrence Shankland’s first-half penalty gave Hearts a deserved lead in Riga but the scoreline really ought to have been more commanding before Alan Forrest provided a second in second-half injury time. Robbie Neilson’s side often worked the ball into dangerous areas throughout the contest but they were often let down by their final ball.
Josh Ginnelly perhaps best summed up his team’s attacking efforts. The winger’s pace and trickery caused RFS problems all night as he regularly burst past his man but his passing in the final third was lax, each attempt just slightly over- or under-hit. Shankland, too, had his chances only to discover his killer touch had deserted him.
Such transgressions were forgiven in Riga as Hearts picked up the three points but few other Conference League opponents will be as accommodating. Such are the fine margins of the sport at this level.
Neilson rises to the occasion
Lewis Neilson swapped Tannadice for Tynecastle in the summer and the promising defender has enjoyed an encouraging start to life at Hearts. The 19-year-old started the evening on the bench but entered the fray on 22 minutes when Craig Halkett had to be brought off.
Neilson was parachuted into the heart of a back three to essentially take his first steps in European football (he came on for the final few minutes against Istanbul Basaksehir) but you wouldn’t have known it by looking at his performance. Strong in the tackle and composed on the ball, the teenage centre-half hardly put a foot wrong in the biggest test yet of his career.
Win opens up group
The win in Latvia – coupled with Basaksehir’s 3-0 victory over Fiorentina last night – gives Hearts a fighting chance of making it out of Group A. After two rounds of fixtures, it’s Fiorentina that find themselves propping up the rest ahead of a double-header with Hearts in their next two outings.
The next two games will define Hearts’ Conference League campaign. Taking on the Serie A outfit in back-to-back fixtures will be a huge challenge, make no mistake, but if Neilson’s men can make it out of the other side relatively unscathed then they will have an enormous opportunity to reach the knockout stages.
Hearts’ destiny is in their own hands – and the players will surely be relishing the opportunity.
