Hearts 1 Nordsjaelland 1: Agony for Vrancken as Danes hit back with late equaliser

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By STEPHEN HALLIDAY 22:14 15 Oct 2026, updated 22:29 15 Oct 2026

Hearts had to settle for a point from their Conference League league phase opener as they conceded a sickening late equaliser to Nordsjaelland substitute Nicklas Rojkjaer.

Oisin McEntee looked as if he had given Wouter Vrancken’s side the perfect start to their campaign when he put them ahead in the first half.

The Irish midfielder, catapulted into Vrancken’s starting line-up after club record signing Eduardo Ageu suffered yet another injury which forced him to be withdrawn from the European squad on the eve of the match, made the most of the unexpected opportunity.

In truth, however, a share of the spoils was the least Nordsjaelland deserved from a contest in which the Danish Superliga outfit looked the more dangerous for long spells.

Hearts will still feel hugely frustrated at not being able to see out the win, however, especially as Rojkjaer’s 86th minute leveller took a hugely fortunate deflection to beat Beau Reus.

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Nordsjaelland arrived in Gorgie with a reputation as a technically sound and dangerous counter-attacking side and they didn’t take long to show both of those qualities.

Hearts, whose own willingness under Vrancken to commit as many players forward as often as possible can leave them vulnerable at the back, were certainly fortunate not to find themselves behind in the opening stages.

Ghanaian winger Prince Amoako provided the visitors’ biggest threat as he regularly took advantage of Hearts’ propensity to give the ball away cheaply at times.

Not even 60 seconds had elapsed when Amoako burst clear down the left for the first time and his dangerous cross was headed behind for a corner by the back-pedalling Harry Milne.

Hearts were initially unable to heed the warning signs and Amoako continued to torment them down their right flank. It needed a lunging intervention from Malachi Fagan-Walcott to deflect Amoako’s next effort wide of the target.

Calvin Miller produced the first significant attacking threat for Hearts with a superb turn and cross from the right. With Nordsjaelland goalkeeper Andreas Hansen static, the ball agonisingly eluded both Claudio Braga and Josh McPake as they stretched to try and connect with it at the back post.

Rather than spark Hearts into life, however, it was Nordsjaelland who continued to look the likelier side. There was a real let-off for Vrancken’s men in the 23rd minute when they coughed up possession yet again in a dangerous position.

Alexander Lind pounced to feed a pass to the ubiquitous Amoako who had the goal at his mercy but sent his low shot against the left hand post of Reus who was clearly beaten had it been on target.

When Milne then had to make a timely block to keep out a shot from Lind, the portents weren’t looking good for Hearts.

That all changed in the 33rd minute when McEntee made the breakthrough. Milne flashed the ball across the face of the penalty area where it was deflected behind.

Miller took the corner from the right and Nordsjaelland struggled to cope with the physicality of the Hearts players as the ball ricocheted into the path of Jamie McCart who headed it towards the six yard box. McEntee was the quickest to react as he stretched out a boot to stab a shot beyond Hansen and spark wild celebrations inside Tynecastle.

Suddenly, the momentum was firmly with the hosts who piled on the pressure in search of a second goal before the break.

James Wilson had what looked like a decent shout for a penalty when he was wrestled from behind by Victor Nelsson inside the box but after a quick VAR check, Polish ref Damian Kos was cleared to stick by his on-field decision to wave away the claim.

Christian Borchgrevink’s inclusion at right-back in place of Jordi Altena was something of a surprise selection for Hearts but the Norwegian justified his manager’s faith in him.

Borchgrevink got forward to good effect and conjured up a delightful pass to send Braga free in the 43rd minute. It was a glorious opportunity for the Portuguese forward but he lacked his customary composure as he blazed his shot over the top.

Nordsjaelland were creaking at the back now and were fortunate to survive a real barrage from Hearts on the stroke of half-time which saw McEntee have a shot blocked before Hansen made fine saves to deny both McCart and McPake.

The visitors recovered their poise after the break but the first clear chance of the half fell to Hearts when Miller sent McPake clear on the counter attack, only for the winger to wastefully drag his shot wide from around 14 yards.

Reus, the man whose heroics in the penalty shoot-out against Rapid Vienna in the play-off round took Hearts into the league phase, has quickly cemented himself as a hugely popular figure among the Gorgie support.

The Dutch keeper earned their approval again with a superb reaction save to deny Lind what looked like a certain equaliser in the 55th minute. As Nordsjaelland enjoyed another dangerous spell, Lind was confounded again by a brave block from Milne just as he was about to pull the trigger inside the penalty area.

The tension inside the stadium was increasingly palpable and Reus displayed outstanding reflexes once more to somehow claw away another Lind effort which had taken a wicked deflection.

How Hearts craved the insurance of a second goal and it should have been delivered by Fagan-Walcott in the 74th minute. The big defender rose brilliantly to meet a Miller free-kick, only to send his header wide of Hansen’s left hand post from close range.

It duly came back to haunt Hearts with four minutes of regulation time remaining as Nordsjaelland were rewarded for their pressure when Rojkjaer’s shot was deflected past the helpless Reus.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Reus 8, Borchgrevink 7, Fagan-Walcott 7, McCart 6, Milne 7 (Kingsley 87); McEntee 7 (Altena 87), Mendy 6; Miller 7, Braga 6 (Kerjota 70), McPake 6 (Mato 87); Wilson 6 (Williams 77).

Nordsjaelland (3-4-3): Hansen 7, Nelsson 6 (Berthelsen 83), Solquist 6, Markmann 6; Norheim 6 (Sadio 64), Janssen 7, Brink 6 (Rojkjaer 64), Lahteenmaki 6; Adel 7, Lind 7 (Boe 72), Amoako 7.

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