Hearts crash out of Europe after Conference League draw with Petrocub

Hearts have been knocked out of the UEFA Conference League after a 2-2 draw at home to Petrocub saw them finish in 25th place at the end of the League Phase.

The Tynecastle side had been heavy favourites to progress but slipped down the table on the final day and missed out on progress to the knockout rounds.

Petrocub, who had only one point from five games, took the lead in the first half and despite Hearts fighting back to level and then get a goal ahead, a late penalty gave the Molodvans a share of the spoils and ensured that the hosts’ miserable season had another painful moment.

Hearts showed attacking intent early on against a side that had yet to pick up a win in the competition but Petrocub showed they had enough about them to make the hosts wary of committing too much forward.

A set piece offered a golden opportunity for Hearts to take the lead but from a corner, Kye Rowes put a header wide from six yards out.

Petrocub responded immediately to take the lead. Vladimir Ambros was given far too much space as he advanced and his arced ball into the box was met by Sergiu Platica, who placed his finish inside the far post.

The Tynecastle support made their anger known and the atmosphere grew more heated as Hearts failed to get a grip of the match. Just before the break Petrocub missed a sitter when Platica seemed certain to score a header but fluffed his lines.

Boos rang out around the stadium at half time.

Fans checking their phones in the interval would have seen what the scoreline meant in terms of the table. Hearts were sitting two places outside the top 24 and staring at elimination after what had been a bright start in the competition.

There wasn’t an immediate lift in quality after the restart but Hearts looked committed to turning things around, with the hosts on the front foot. Petrocub seemed happy to sit on what they had and that looked a risky strategy when a Lawrence Shankland strike was deflected over.

Frustration grew when from another corner Rowles missed an almost identical opportunity with a header that went wide, but the crowd had found encouragement and were getting behind their team. They were united in screaming for a penalty when Blair Spittal went down but the referee gestured to play on and VAR didn’t intervene.

Just after the hour mark Hearts got the goal they had been chasing. A ball into the box sought Shankland and he controlled it under pressure but was challenged again, the ball only knocked into space in the centre of the box where James Wilson was unmarked and steered his shot into the back of the net.

Having drawn level, Hearts went in search of another and they went ahead six minutes later. A cross into the box was deflected and Spittal was well placed to steer a head in from 12 yards.

The hosts seemed in control but were dealt a blow seven minutes from time. In a frantic spell in the Hearts penalty area, James Penrice blocked a shot on the line and Rowles denied Petrocub from netting the rebound. A VAR review sent the referee to the monitor though, and he ruled that Penrice had handled the ball to deny the visitors.

Victor Mudrac took the penalty and sent Craig Gordon the wrong way to make it 2-2.

Hearts threw everything at the Moldovans in the remaining seven minutes of regulation time, and the added seven minutes but couldn’t muster a goal.

Many fans had left Tynecastle before the final whistle, and those remaining booed the team as the left the pitch.

Confirmation of exit from the competition didn’t come until a few minutes after full-time but the post-mortem on another low point in a challenging season had already begun.