Hearts head coach Neil Critchley admitted his side were beaten by the better team in Denmark but bemoaned a “really poor decision” that cost them the chance to push for an equaliser against FC Copenhagen.
Critchley’s side only registered one shot on goal and that was deflected wide, but his plans to throw caution to the wind were undermined when the hosts were awarded an extremely soft VAR-assisted penalty in the 78th minute.
Craig Gordon had kept the score down to 1-0 before being penalised after a collision with goalscorer Amin Chiakha.
The goalkeeper got hands to the ball just after Chiakha who then ran into him at pace but Italian referee Fabio Maresca pointed to the spot after briefly watching very limited footage of the clash.
Gordon was beaten from the spot and Copenhagen comfortably saw out the 2-0 win which leaves Hearts looking for a crucial victory at home to Moldovan side Petrocub next Thursday.
Critchley told Hearts TV: “A very difficult game for us. They proved this was our toughest game, playing against very good opposition and you have a plan to try and take the game to them.
“You know you are going to have to be well organised and suffer sometimes but you want to try and hurry them up and turn the ball over. But when we decide to have press, they are good at playing around you and playing through and that can be difficult for the players. But we kept going right to the end.
“They were the better team and they deserved to win but at 1-0 we were 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 had spoken about that at half-time and what we were going to do. And then when it’s 2-0 the game is done.”
Hearts suffered a blow when defender Frankie Kent limped off in the first half.
Critchley said: “It’s too early to say now but he said he was feeling his quad. Obviously losing him is not ideal. We have to keep our fingers crossed and see how he is.”
