Steven Naismith hailed match-winner Alex Lowry as a special talent after the on-loan Rangers player’s late goal sent Hearts into the Viaplay Cup semi-finals.

Kilmarnock were in the ascendancy as the match edged closer to extra time, only for Lowry to strike in time added on to the regulation 90 minutes.

Brad Lyons had earlier cancelled out Jorge Grant’s opener before Lowry claimed his first goal since moving on loan to Tynecastle last month to seal the victory.

Naismith praised Lowry as one of the best young Scottish talents in the game but said he wanted to see more from the 20-year-old on a consistent basis.

The Hearts manager said: “Alex has got brilliant ability.

“I’m not sure I’ve seen in my whole footballing career a young Scottish player that I have been working with that has got such good … he can do things with a ball that a lot of others can’t.

“I’ve challenged him to see more moments like that.

“He’s been frustrated at not getting more game time but I said to him, you need to show moments and when you are on the park, you need to do more.”

Naismith was pleased to have a Hampden Park semi-final to look forward to but warned that his team would need to follow up that result, starting with a trip to play Ross County this weekend.

He added: “I was delighted to get through. It was the next step we needed to take.

“At this club there’s a demand to get to semi-finals and finals and ultimately win silverware.

“It’s a big win and everybody’s delighted but we do need to back that up.

“Over the past few seasons we haven’t had good performances at Kilmarnock, and Ross County has been the same.”

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes admitted he was frustrated that his players had unnecessarily chased a winning goal rather than waiting for extra time.

He said: “I was angry [at full-time] that we’ve allowed that type of goal to decide the cup tie. We had Hearts where we wanted them. We were in charge of that tie in the second half.

“We played the last phase of play as if we needed a goal to get back in the tie. We were guilty of trying to win it then. We were too excitable, too gung-ho to win a game of football in 90 minutes when we could have won the game in extra time.

“It was all last-gasp and unnecessary, almost as if we were chasing a game to win it in 90 minutes when we didn’t need to. We could – and should – have won it in extra time. But we allowed an opportunity for Hearts and they took it.”

Frankie McAvoy is adamant Hearts are capable of turning around their Europa Conference League play-off against PAOK in Greece next week despite suffering a frustrating 2-1 first-leg defeat at Tynecastle.

Lawrence Shankland’s early penalty gave the Jambos a lead but it was swiftly cancelled out by a spot-kick from Stefan Schwab.

Shankland then had a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR check before a 75th-minute strike against the run of the play from Andrija Zivkovic gave the Greeks a crucial advantage.

Hearts must now pull off a victory in the intimidating Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki next Thursday if they are to qualify for the group stage, but McAvoy remains optimistic.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game and a tight affair,” said the head coach. “It was disappointing that we scored then they got a penalty so early after it.

“Then we score with Shanks and the elation then turned to a sour note when it got chopped off. Then they score from a corner.

“As for emotions, I’m disappointed with the result but in spells I felt our shape without the ball was really good. They’re a good team and they try to hit on the counter and there were some pleasing moments.

“We know what we’ve got to do now – we’ve got to win the game and I believe it’s possible for us to do that. That’s what we’ve got to look forward to in the next leg.

“We just need to make sure we’re prepared as best we can for going to Greece next week knowing that we’ve got to go and win the game.”

McAvoy believes Hearts showed in Thursday’s first leg that they have enough attacking threats to score in Greece next week.

“I thought when we got into good areas we caused them problems,” he said. “First half their keeper made a fantastic save from Shanks, so we know we’ll create chances.

“I think our wide players could cause them issues. We’ve got a good squad. We’ll deal with Dundee as best we can (in the cinch Premiership on Sunday) then really focus on what we’ve got to do in Greece.

“We’ve come a long way since myself, Steven Naismith and Gordon Forrest came in (as a management team at the end of last season) and the players have great belief in themselves.

“That’s important going forward and we’ll have that at the forefront of our minds when we go to Greece next week.”

Hearts suffered a further setback as they lost Barrie McKay to injury midway through the setback.

“It’s too early to say, he felt something in his knee,” said McAvoy, when asked about the extent of the problem. “The guys have to assess it to find how bad it is but it’s too early at the moment.”

Hearts’ hopes of reaching the Europa Conference League group stage sustained a major dent on Thursday night as they suffered a frustrating 2-1 defeat at home to Greek side PAOK in the first leg of their play-off round tie.

The Jambos made the ideal start when they went ahead through Lawrence Shankland’s early penalty, but the visitors equalised with a spot-kick of their own shortly afterwards.

Hearts enjoyed the bulk of the pressure thereafter and Shankland saw a goal ruled out for offside just before Andrija Zivkovic’s superb 75th-minute strike against the run of the play handed the Greeks the initiative.

The cinch Premiership side now face the formidable task of needing a victory at the hostile Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki next Thursday if they are to prolong their European run into the group stage.

Hearts made four changes to the team that started Sunday’s 4-0 Viaplay Cup victory over Partick Thistle as Odel Offiah, Toby Sibbick, Calem Nieuwenhof and Alex Lowry were replaced by Nathaniel Atkinson, Stephen Kingsley, Cammy Devlin and Liam Boyce.

Backed by another packed Tynecastle crowd, the hosts started on the front foot and there were loud shouts for a penalty in the sixth minute when Kenneth Vargas fell under a challenge from Rafa Soares as he burst into the PAOK box.

Latvian referee Andris Treimanis initially was not convinced but after VAR intervened and following a lengthy check of the pitchside monitor, he pointed to the spot. Three minutes after the foul was committed, Shankland, having kept his composure amid the tension, slotted his kick into the net.

The hosts’ celebrations were short-lived, however. Just two minutes after going ahead, they let the Greeks back into it when Kye Rowles chopped down Serbia forward Zivkovic in the box.

It was a clear penalty and captain Stefan Schwab duly tucked his kick beyond Zander Clark, much to the delight of the partisan 300-strong band of travelling fans.

Hearts almost regained the lead in the 31st minute when Devlin’s cross into the box was glanced towards goal by the head of Shankland but goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski did superbly to claw it out. Vargas and Shankland both had attempts to force the rebound in before Boyce, who looked certain to score from six yards out on the follow-up, saw his shot blocked by Soares.

The Jambos threatened again two minutes into the second half when Kingsley flashed an angled half-volley just beyond the far post after PAOK failed to deal with Alex Cochrane’s free-kick into the box.

The Edinburgh side – who lost Barrie McKay to injury just after the hour – thought they had gone ahead in the 66th minute when Shankland curled a superb finish into the top corner after being played in by Boyce just inside the box but after a VAR check, and following lengthy celebrations from the hosts, the scorer was ruled to be offside.

It proved a pivotal moment as PAOK got themselves ahead in the 75th minute when Zivkovic fired home a ferocious low strike from just outside the box after a corner kick was worked into his path, sparking wild celebrations among the visiting players and supporters.

Frankie McAvoy savoured “a special occasion” at a packed Tynecastle as Hearts staged a stunning fightback to edge out Rosenborg in a dramatic Europa Conference League qualifier.

Cammy Devlin scored the decisive goal in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 win on the night and a 4-3 aggregate triumph, setting up a play-off round showdown with Greek side PAOK.

Head coach McAvoy believes it was a night to remember for the packed Tynecastle crowd as the Jambos clawed their way back into the match after trailing 3-1 on aggregate six minutes into the second leg.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions at the side of the pitch,” he said.

“We lost an early goal, which wasn’t ideal if I’m honest with you. And we looked a little tentative at the beginning, I don’t know if the occasion got to some of us.

“But character sums up the team. We came back, 3-1 down on aggregate, to win 4-3 on the night and the players deserve immense credit.

“The support drove us on, it was a special occasion. Tynecastle under the lights is difficult and daunting for anyone.

“Rosenborg are a good team, you saw that tonight. They had more of the ball than they did last week and they were more in our faces.

“So over the piece I am delighted for everyone connected with Hearts that we’re through to the next round.

“The ultras behind the goal really make it a big occasion in Scottish football and it is great to see. I can’t speak highly enough of them.

“They drove us on and that’s fantastic. Everyone talks about cliches of a 12th man, they were that tonight.”

Captain Lawrence Shankland started the fightback in the first half before Devlin – not renowned for his goal-scoring – sealed the deal with a double after the break.

McAvoy praised the Australian for his willingness to get forward from his deep-lying midfield role.

“I’m delighted for Cammy,” he said. “We like him. He’s done really well for us since we’ve come in. We’re delighted with him.

“The good thing is he’s getting forward and into the box, which is one of the things we have asked him to do. For me, he is a fantastic young player, a great squad member and we’re delighted with his contribution tonight.”

Cammy Devlin scored a stoppage-time winner as Hearts mounted a stirring fightback from two goals behind on aggregate to eliminate Rosenborg in a dramatic Europa Conference League third qualifying-round tie.

The Jambos, already trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Norway, came from behind in the second leg at a packed Tynecastle to win 3-1 on the night and secure a 4-3 triumph over the two legs, setting up a play-off with Greek side PAOK later this month.

The Norwegians looked to be in full control when an early goal from Isak Thorvaldsson put them 3-1 ahead on aggregate.

But the Jambos came roaring back to level the tie through goals from captain Lawrence Shankland and Devlin. The Australian midfielder then sparked bedlam with his second of the night in added time.

Hearts made three changes to the team that started Sunday’s goalless draw at home to Kilmarnock in the cinch Premiership as 19-year-old Aidan Denholm came in for his first competitive start along with Liam Boyce and Alex Cochrane, while Peter Haring, Alex Lowry and Kyosuke Tagawa dropped out.

A sold-out Tynecastle was at its raucous best as the teams emerged from the tunnel, but the Norwegians silenced the home support just six minutes in.

Thorvaldsson did the damage when he drilled the rebound over the line from the edge of the six-yard box after goalkeeper Zander Clark had done superbly to keep out the striker’s initial header from an Adrian Pereira free-kick.

Hearts almost equalised two minutes later, but Yutaro Oda smashed an angled shot off the far post after being played in to the box on the right by Shankland.

Clark had to make an impressive save in the 12th minute to prevent Rosenborg stretching their lead when he got down to his left to stop Emil Frederiksen finding the net with a low shot from eight yards out after the attacker had got himself clear inside the box.

It proved a pivotal moment as Hearts went straight up the pitch and scored.

Left-back Stephen Kingsley clipped a speculative through-ball in behind and Shankland managed to get himself clear before producing a lovely finish as he nonchalantly chipped the advancing Andre Hansen from the edge of the box.

The Jambos were suddenly full of confidence and they had a great chance to level the tie on aggregate in the 28th minute when Shankland ran on to an Oda pass down the right and saw his angled shot blocked by the legs of the keeper when he had Boyce in the middle begging for the ball to be squared.

Hearts continued in the ascendancy for the remainder of the first half.

In the 40th minute Kye Rowles headed over from Kingsley’s cross and seconds later Cochrane saw a firm low shot from the edge of the box saved by Hansen.

The hosts survived a scare four minutes after the restart when Nathaniel Atkinson had to hook the ball off the goal-line after his own attempt to clear a cross into the six-yard box ricocheted back off team-mate Rowles.

Seconds later Hearts went ahead on the night and levelled the tie on aggregate when Devlin followed up to smash a loose ball high into the net from a few yards out after Boyce’s powerful shot from 12 yards out was blocked by Hansen.

And Devlin had the final say in added time when his low deflected shot from the edge of the box found the net, sparking jubilant scenes inside Tynecastle.

Steven Naismith blamed a European hangover and early teething trouble with new signings as Hearts stumbled to a goalless Premiership draw at home to Kilmarnock.

The Tynecastle side lacked the necessary spark in attack to break down a resolute Kilmarnock, who enjoyed the better opportunities over the course of the stalemate.

And Jambos technical director Naismith admits Thursday’s Europa Conference League third qualifying round encounter with Rosenborg in Norway appeared to have an effect on his players.

He said: “There was some frustration there but I’m realistic and I’ve got the experience of being in these situations.

“There’s been a few new players come in, it’s new to them, we have played away from home in Europe and come back.

“You’ll have seen it a million times that these are tough performances even before you look at the opposition.

“It was a slow start. Everyone was waiting for somebody to ignite the performance but as the game went on and the second-half developed, it looked very good for us.

“We were very composed and we made Kilmarnock defend.

“A big positive is we looked really secure at the back. That’s one of the big areas we needed to improve on, in set plays and general play and I thought we did look solid.”

The former Rangers and Scotland striker added: “(Thursday) is going to have an impact, without a doubt. I’ve been there as a player – it’s hard.

“As much as you prepare properly and do everything right, it’s an intense period. We’ve not had the luxury of having many competitive games and the adrenaline in the build up to games takes a bit out of you as well.

“And we’ve got new players who are still trying to bed in. So you’ve got to juggle all that but overall, there were loads of pleasing aspects to our performance.”

Hearts are back at home on Thursday night for the second leg of the meeting with Rosenborg as they seek to overturn their 2-1 first-leg deficit.

Asked if he was confident they could find a spark for that match, Naismith said: “If we don’t, then we have a problem.

“If players don’t want to play on a European night at Tynecastle, then that’s a problem. But I’m comfortable with that.”

Meanwhile, Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes hailed his new-look side for taking their haul to four points after their opening-day shock win over Rangers.

The Rugby Park outfit carried the greater attacking threat and Kyle Magennis’ header and Stuart Findlay’s shot came closest to breaking the deadlock.

McInnes said: “We’re not celebrating coming here and getting a point and the clean sheet and the performance.

“But what I am privately celebrating is the type of team we’ve become in a short space of time.

“Coming through the League Cup stages and frantically trying to put a squad together that can meet the demands, we had so much to do.

“But the team over the last couple of games have shown so many real qualities.

“That wasn’t just a battling performance, that wasn’t us hanging in. Hearts came onto it for about 10 minutes towards the end, but I thought we were pretty assured and comfortable throughout.

“And I think we look as if we’ve been playing together a lot longer than what we have done – and that’s testament to the players.

“That’s two clean sheets against Rangers and Hearts.

“It’s not been perfect but it was a strong performance, as it needed to be and it was pretty comfortable for the vast majority of it.”

Hearts and Kilmarnock fought out a goalless stalemate at Tynecastle to remain undefeated after two Premiership matches of the new season.

Boos from the home side greeted the final whistle after a 90 minutes of few clear goalmouth opportunities.

After a late surge from the Jambos, Kilmarnock looked content with a point at the end, despite looking more threatening in attack for most of the match.

Both teams won their opening-day fixture in the Scottish top flight, with Kilmarnock delivering the surprise of the first round of fixtures with a shock 1-0 victory over Rangers.

Manager Derek McInnes named the same team for this trip to Tynecastle.

Hearts, who got off the mark with a 2-0 win away to St Johnstone, were in action again on Thursday when they slipped to a 2-1 first-leg defeat to Rosenborg in the Europa Conference League third qualifying round.

The home side made three changes, with Alex Cochrane still serving a domestic suspension, Alan Forrest dropping to the bench and Beni Baningime out of the squad completely.

Stephen Kingsley and Peter Haring were drafted in and recent signing Kyosuke Tagawa was handed his first start following his recent arrival from Japan. New signing Kenneth Vargas was also named amongst the substitutes before making his bow midway through the second period.

Hearts opened with intent and Haring had a header saved by William Dennis only to see the offside flag deny them a corner.

At the other end, Lewis Mayo enjoyed Kilmarnock’s first attempt on target in the 15th minute but his header was comfortably gathered by goalkeeper Zander Clark.

Moments later, the visitors had the opportunity to spring a counter-attack but skipper Brad Lyons could not find the supporting run of Matty Kennedy and the chance was gone.

There was a moment of concern for Hearts in the 26th minute when Clark punched the ball following a corner only for it to hit a ruck of players inside the box before the the home defence scrambled it clear.

The game needed a spark and Haring almost provided it for Hearts in the 33rd minute but his 25-yard drive slipped wide of the target.

But it was Kilmarnock who finished the half stronger. Kennedy’s shot was touched past by Clark and the winger saw a free-kick deflected wide.

Defender Robbie Deas then headed a David Watson cross off-target before the Rugby Park side carved out their best chance of the half.

A Kyle Magennis header from Kennedy’s in-swinging cross from the right was destined for the bottom corner of the net but Clark got a strong right hand to it to prevent the Ayrshire men from taking a lead into the break.

Hearts continued to enjoy more possession in the second half but it was Kilmarnock who fashioned the better moments in attack.

Kennedy drew another save from Clark within seconds of the restart before Daniel Armstrong headed wide.

The visiting supporters were off their seats in the 65th minute as a powerful drive from defender Stuart Findlay arrowed inches wide.

Despite their European exertions in Norway, Hearts finished the stronger of the two teams.

But, although they piled the pressure on in the closing minutes, they could not break down a resolute Kilmarnock defence.

A Lawrence Shankland effort – following a cross from substitute Liam Boyce – dropped wide and Vargas curled a long-range effort too high as both teams had to settle for a point.

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy is happy his side will take to the pitch at Tynecastle next week with their European hopes still alive following a 2-1 defeat by Rosenborg in Norway.

It was a tough first half for Hearts in the first leg of their Europa Conference League third round qualifier at the Lerkendal Stadion as Emil Frederiksen put the home side ahead in the 14th minute before Jayden Nelson made it 2-0 in added time.

The Jambos asserted themselves after the break and pulled a goal back in the 78th minute through skipper Lawrence Shankland on his 28th birthday to give the Edinburgh side better prospects of recovering the tie in the second leg next Thursday in Gorgie.

McAvoy told Hearts TV: “We are obviously disappointed to lose the game 2-1 but the tie is alive which is the least that we hoped that we could do.

“We made a few mistakes in the first half but that is about us encouraging players to be brave on the ball, we’ve done that so we accept that responsibility as a coaching team.

“We had a lot of possession in the first half but we’re probably a wee bit too safe, if I’m honest.

“We changed that a wee bit in a second half and you could see that we get more impetus, more forward, penetrating passes and I thought that the least we deserved was the goal which we are delighted with and obviously not losing again because their strength is in transition, they are very good at it.

“But it’s all to play for in front of a capacity crowd at Tynecastle so we believe we can go there and hopefully get the job done.”

Birthday boy Lawrence Shankland gave Hearts some much-needed Euro encouragement with a crucial second-half goal in a 2-1 defeat by Rosenborg in Trondheim.

Emil Frederiksen put the home side ahead in the 14th minute of the Europa Conference League third qualifying round first leg at the Lerkendal Stadion before 20-year-old Canada international Jayden Nelson made it 2-0 in added time in the first half.

The Jambos had been well off the pace but they responded positively after the break and pulled a goal back in the 78th minute through their skipper on his 28th birthday to perhaps turn the tie in the Gorgie side’s favour ahead of the return game at Tynecastle next Thursday night.

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy will certainly be pleased that his side fought back after a ropey first half.

He tweaked his line-up from Saturday’s 2-0 cinch Premiership win over St Johnstone, notably Beni Baningime starting for the first time in 17 months after recovering from a torn knee ligament in March, 2022 – but he had a wretched time and was replaced at half-time.

Rangers loanee and fellow midfielder Alex Lowry came in for his first start, with left-back Alex Cochrane reinstated.

Svein Maalen’s side, eighth in Norway’s Eliteserien after 18 games, had the first attempt on goal inside the opening two minutes when Carlo Holse stabbed a cross wide of the target before 16-year-old Sverre Nypan fired a long-distance effort over the bar.

However, the home side did deservedly forged ahead when Nypan turned Baningime inside the Hearts box and crossed for Frederiksen to knock into the net from a few yards out after getting in front of Cochrane.

It was midway through the first half before Hearts had a shot on goal but Alan Forrest’s low drive was comfortably saved by keeper Andre Hansen.

Moments later, Jambos keeper Zander Clark made a better save from the ever-dangerous Nelson, whose curling shot was heading for inside the far post.

Then, on the half-hour mark, Rosenborg’s Tobias Borkeeiet came close with a long-distance drive which shaved Clark’s left-hand post.

But in the second minute of added time, Nypan raced away from struggling Baningime who pulled up and with the Hearts defence in shreds, he simply slipped the ball to Nelson to beat Clark from close range.

Peter Haring took over from Baningime for the second half and the visitors looked more at ease, and in the 52nd minute Shankland missed the target with a header when he should have hit the target.

There was a penalty shout when Lowry was sent spinning by the Rosenborg keeper inside the box as he tried to reach a Cochrane pass but Romanian referee Andrei Chivulete was unmoved.

Rejuvenated Hearts got the goal they deserved with 12 minutes left when substitute Stephen Kingsley crossed from the left for Scotland striker Shankland to direct a header past Hansen.

The Edinburgh side went in search of a leveller which left Rosenborg looking a bit shaky but they held on for the win, although Hearts will leave Norway confident they can recover the tie in the second leg to set up a meeting with either Hajduk Split or PAOK.

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy is expecting a “real tough game” when his side come up against Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round first-leg in Norway.

The Jambos will be looking to make it to the group stage for the second consecutive year but need to beat the 26-time Norwegian champions and would then meet either Hajduk Split or PAOK if they are to play in the main draw again, and McAvoy is not underestimating their opponents.

He told a press conference: “We are expecting a real tough game if I’m honest.

“I think they are undefeated in six as well so that shows what kind of form they are on but we are prepared as best as we can coming here.

“It’s a big game there’s no doubt about that, we’ve set a few aims for ourselves to try and qualify to get into the group stages, we’ve got a tough opponent there’s no doubt about that.

“We will do our utmost, do our best here to take a good positive result back to a full house at Tynecastle and that can be a daunting task for anybody.”

Hearts started their league campaign in style on Saturday with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone thanks to goals from Yutaro Oda and Lawrence Shankland.

In contrast, Rosenborg sit eighth in Norway’s Eliteserien but have recently seen an upturn in form, winning each of their last four league games.

McAvoy continued: “In terms of match sharpness they are probably ahead of us but there’s no reason why we can’t come here and do extremely well and that’s what we are hoping to do.

“But we’ve got a good competitive group, we believe we have a good squad and we are hoping we can come here and do ourselves justice tomorrow night.

“You can see when you walk down the tunnel, you can see their record in Europe but they have brought a new manager in and have started to do well. They’ve played Scottish competition before and know what they will be coming up against.”

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy praised his players after they overcame first-half rustiness to secure an impressive 2-0 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on the cinch Premiership’s opening day.

In a close game that began after a short delay with a VAR power failure, Yutaro Oda eventually gave Hearts the lead with 15 minutes to go with a superb low strike and Lawrence Shankland sealed the win deep into stoppage time with a tap-in after unselfish play from Liam Boyce.

McAvoy – who was given the job in June on a full-time basis, alongside technical director Steven Naismith – also admitted relief as the Tynecastle side started the season with a victory ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League qualifier against Rosenborg.

He said: “I’m probably relieved for myself and the background team but delighted for the players and the supporters who I thought were fantastic.

“They came out in big numbers so delighted we’ve managed to get the three points and keep a clean sheet.

“The VAR breaking down before the game started probably didn’t help us much and it allowed them to settle a bit and put pressure on us.

“We know we were a bit rusty. St Johnstone have had more competitive games.

“You can have pre-season games like we’ve had but it’s not the real stuff. We knew that we just needed to be at it today and we felt as the game went on we got a wee bit better.”

Hearts gave competitive debuts to new signings Frankie Kent and Calem Nieuwenhof from the start, while Kyosuke Tagawa and Alex Lowry made debuts from the bench.

Lowry signed on loan from Rangers just yesterday and he was singled out for praise by McAvoy, who was pleased with the impact of his substitutes.

He added: “We’re delighted with the impact the subs made in the game and you can see the quality they’ve added. That’s great for the squad because we need strength in depth and we need them being really competitive.

“You can see that (Alex) Lowry’s got a bit of quality. We knew that. He’s coming from a massive club in Rangers as well. We’re delighted that he wanted to come here which was pleasing.

“He had a lot of options on the table and he chose to come here which is credit to him. He had the chance to go down south but he felt like we play in the right manner.”

St Johnstone boss Steven MacLean, meanwhile, was pleased with the reaction from his players after last week’s humiliating 4-0 defeat to Stirling Albion.

Despite not getting anything from the game, Saints competed for large periods and could have taken the lead through Liam Gordon and Graham Carey before Hearts’ breakthrough.

MacLean said: “I thought our performance was a lot better. We worked very hard for each other. We’re going to be a work in progress.

“Liam Gordon had a great chance and we had another couple of opportunities as well and you’ve got to take your chances against the better teams in the league – any games in fact.

“In terms of attitude, performance and work-rate, I’m happy with them.

“I think when you look at it, it’s one long ball into the box and we don’t win the first contact and the boy scores.

“That’s the difference today. If you look at Hearts’ bench, what they had to bring on and the difference from ours.

“I’m happy with my squad and I’m happy with my team today. We’ll get better going forward, we’ll bring in some more bodies and we will improve.”

Late goals from Yutaro Oda and Lawrence Shankland gave Hearts a winning start in the cinch Premiership as they defeated St Johnstone 2-0 at McDiarmid Park.

In a closely-fought game, Oda made the breakthrough with 15 minutes to go, drilling an unstoppable low shot past Dimitar Mitov,.

Shankland rubbed salt into the St Johnstone wounds by tapping in with almost the last kick of the game to double the advantage.

Hearts goalkeeper Zander Clark had earlier denied Graham Carey and Liam Gordon with strong saves, while Kyosuke Tagawa should have marked his debut with a goal for the visitors as he failed to capitalise on a one-on-one chance.

Despite competing well for large periods of the match, St Johnstone have now begun the season with four defeats in five matches, following losses to Stenhousemuir, Ayr United and Stirling Albion in the Viaplay Cup.

Saints boss Steven MacLean had unsurprisingly made six changes to the side who suffered the 4-0 loss to Stirling last week, while Oludare Olufunwa and Sam McClelland made their debuts after signing this week.

For Hearts, this game represented their first competitive match of the season, and they also gave debuts to new signings in the shape of Frankie Kent and Calem Nieuwenhof.

The match was initially delayed by 10 minutes due to a power issue with the VAR technology and the game began without VAR for a short period before the problem was resolved.

When the game did get underway it was the hosts who started better and captain Gordon should have given them an early lead as his sliced Carey’s cross wide from close range.

Hearts had started slowly but they grew into the match after the 20 minute mark, with Peter Haring heading a deflected Nieuwenhof cross wide and Nathaniel Atkinson skewing a low shot wide when well placed in the box.

Shankland had his first chance just before the break as he met Stephen Kingsley’s deep free-kick with a volley that was too close to Mitov in the home goal.

St Johnstone had the first chance of the second period as the lively Carey capitalised on a poor clearance by cutting inside and unleashing a powerful effort with his right foot that was parried away by Clark.

Clark was called into action again just before the hour mark, making a superb one-handed stop to deny Gordon a headed goal before the Hearts defence scrambled the ball clear of danger.

Hearts got better as the half went on and they should have scored in the 67th minute as Shankland met Kingsley’s low cross but his first-time shot was well stopped by Mitov.

Mitov then made an even better save moments later, sticking out a strong hand to deny substitute Tagawa when clean through.

Mitov’s heroics proved in vain, however, as Hearts made the breakthrough in the 75th minute.

Atkinson’s deep cross eventually dropped at the back post for Oda, who showed composure to take a touch and rifle a low shot across the St Johnstone goalkeeper and into the bottom left-hand corner.

Hearts could have added to their lead, with Liam Boyce and Kye Rowles seeing attempts saved by Mitov, before they wrapped up the win in style, as substitute Boyce broke clear and laid the ball on a plate for Shankland, who could not miss.

Steven Naismith is adamant Hearts’ managerial team will continue to run smoothly even though the official titles of he and Frankie McAvoy have been changed since the end of last season.

Following the sacking of Robbie Neilson in April, Jambos’ B team manager Naismith was promoted to the role of interim first-team boss for the last seven games of last term, assisted by McAvoy and Gordon Forrest.

However, Naismith does not yet have his UEFA Pro Licence qualification, which is a prerequisite for managing in Europe, so when it came to a permanent arrangement, Hearts announced at the start of June that 56-year-old McAvoy would become head coach and the 36-year-old former Rangers, Everton and Scotland attacker had been appointed technical director.

The general understanding at the time was that Naismith would continue to call the shots although McAvoy is maintaining in interviews that he will have the final say on all team-related matters. Naismith is confident there will be no issues with the new set-up.

“It’s very much like we were last season,” Naismith told Sky Sports. “The biggest thing is we’re here because of what we did last season. Yes, the roles were slightly different, but the way we work is the exact same.

“Going forward the club wanted us to be involved to try and continue what we did, the way we played and get the results we want to challenge for the expectations of the club.

“The structure this season is what it is, Frankie is obviously leading stuff in terms of decisions with the team but day-to-day nothing really changes. It’s very much a team thing.

“We’ve got Frankie, who’s got different attributes to what I have, to what Gordon Forrest has, to what (goalkeeping coach) Paul Gallagher has within the coaching team. As we’ve worked from the off, we’ve all got an opinion and we all come to a good decision and that’s what we want again this season.”

Naismith feels that he, McAvoy and Forrest work well together and does not envisage that changing.

“There hasn’t really been (any dissent) and I think that’s why we’re all very comfortable with the way it has been,” he said. “Last season we had the seven or eight weeks together and we debate things but there’s never been a stand-off.

“We sit and discuss it then we decide the way forward. In terms of the bigger picture, the expectations of the club, how we want to play and how we evaluate a performance, that’s very clear-cut for us all.

“We’re all on the same page for that and that’s the biggest thing we’ll use to move forward and progress. We’re all on the same page and it has been seamless so far.”

Naismith is aiming to undertake his Pro Licence and he hinted that completion of the qualification could lead to a change in job titles.

“Again that’s something we’ve spoken about and I think for the longer-term thing, there could be changes,” he said. “The here and now, what we’re dealing with, what we’re happy with and accepting of is this structure, and that’s what we’ll go forward with.

“I’ve got a plan in place (for Pro Licence) and that will come into effect when it can and we’ll move forward from that point.”

Hearts have completed the signing of centre-back Frankie Kent from Peterborough after fending off an attempt to hijack the deal by a cinch Premiership rival.

The 27-year-old former Arsenal youth player has signed a three-year contract after Peterborough received an undisclosed fee.

Hearts say they saw off some “stiff, late opposition” to sign the former Colchester player, who joined Posh in 2019 and made 170 appearances, helping the club to promotion to the Championship in 2021 and the League One play-offs last season.

Sporting director Joe Savage told the Hearts website: “We’ve said all along that we’ll be patient to make sure we get the right players in and Frankie certainly fits the bill.

“It’s also pleasing that he remained committed to joining us despite another Scottish club trying to get involved late on and I suppose we should take it as a compliment that our recruitment strategy is being mimicked elsewhere.”

Technical director Steven Naismith added: “We identified Frankie as a player who could come in and improve the team so we’re delighted to get him in.

“He was a big part of Peterborough’s recent success in winning promotion and we believe that he can make himself a success at Tynecastle Park.

“He is an aggressive centre-half in the way that he defends and starts phases of play and his leadership skills stand out.

“He was very keen to come to Hearts and take the next step in his career, so it’s a great move all round.”

Orestis Kiomourtzoglou has left Hearts to join German side Greuther Furth, subject to international clearance.

The 25-year-old midfielder has joined the 2. Bundesliga outfit for an undisclosed six-figure fee.

Kiomourtzoglou joined the Jambos last August and made 27 first-team appearances.

A statement on the Gorgie club’s official website confirmed Kiomourtzoglou’s departure and added: “The club would like to thank Kio for his efforts and we wish him all the best with his career back in Germany.”