Match Report: Hearts 2-0 AC Omonoia

Hearts made it two wins from two in the UEFA Conference League with a thumping 2-0 victory over AC Omonoia of Cyprus at Tynecastle Park this evening. 

With four changes to the side that humbled St. Mirren 4-0 in Gorgie last Saturday, Head Coach Neil Critchley had high hopes for his Hearts side ahead of the test against the side from Nicosia. 

Hearts registered two chances in the opening five minutes, with Blair Spittal sending a volley over the bar from distance before Stephen Kingsley saw an accurate free-kick deflected behind by the wall.

The Jambos raced into a deserved lead after 16 minutes through some delightful finishing from Alan Forrest. A well worked move saw Vargas thread the ball into Blair Spittal, who let fire from range. Fabiano parried the initial effort, with Forrest displaying lethal instinct to score from the second bite of the cherry.

Hearts were making the most of a boisterous Tynecastle atmosphere, with another huge chance falling the Jambos’ way after 22 minutes. Adam Forrester did well to keep the ball in play before easing off to Lawrence Shankland. The skipper weaved his way past his marker before seeing his low drive tipped behind by Fabiano.

The second was to follow shortly after, with Blair Spittal picking up where he left off against St. Mirren. Great pressing from Hearts opened the door for Spittal to receive from the throw in.

In a prime position within the Cypriot box, he lashed home an impressive strike on his right foot that put Hearts two to the good before half an hour had been registered on the clock.

The chances kept tumbling as Hearts flexed their creative muscles. Blair Spittal, the architect of so many good things in the first half, saw an impressive, curled effort from distance go narrowly wide.

Omnoia’s luck at the other end of the park was few and far between, with Filip Helander sending a powerful header high and wide over the bar from the corner as the first half approached its conclusion.

HT: Heart of Midlothian 2-0 AC Omonoia

The men in maroon almost had a quickfire third right from the restart. Spittal again in acres of space in the middle of the park, he turned and encourages Forrester forward. His low cross is dummied by Vargas, but it just doesn't sit for Shankland and the ball ended up in the arms of Fabiano.

Good running from Malachi Boateng saw the ball threaded out wide to Alan Forrest after 64 minutes. The winger, hungry for a second, cut inside and went for goal from 25-yards but saw his strike blocked by a green shirt.

Meanwhile, Omonoia’s wastefulness in front of goal was to haunt them, with both Willy Semedo and Alioum Saidou seeing chances from good positions go astray with a brace of efforts that were high and wide.

The best chance of the evening for the visitors came with ten minutes to go as Khammas made ground the left and crossed for Saidous, the effort coming off the post, with the flag up for offside soon after. 

Offside would deny Hearts a third at the other end, with Jorge Grant turning a James Penrice cross beyond Fabiano at the near post before the flag was raised. 

With four minutes of added time to conclude the game, Omonoia couldn't find a way in and Hearts claimed more valuable points.

Onwards to the small matter of Sunday's Edinburgh derby at Easter Road... 

Hearts: Gordon, Kent, Kingsley (McKay 82'), Shankland, Devlin, Rowles, Spittal (Dhanda 72’), Forrest (Penrice 72’), Boateng, Forrester (Oyegoke 62’), Vargas (Grant 62’)

Subs: Clark, Halkett, Oyegoke, Grant, McKay, Dhanda, Wilson, Tait, Boyce, Penrice, Sandilands, Salazar

AC Omonoia: Fabiano, Diounkou (Masouras 67’), Helander, Coulibaly, Semedo (Kakoulli, 67’), Stepinski (Saidou 67’), Maric, Simic (Loizou 52’), Khammas (Kitsos 82'), Charalampous, Erakovic

Subs: Uzoho, Kyriakidis, Kitsos, Kakoulli, Ewandro, Masouras, Lang, Panagiotou, Kousolous, Loizou, Neophytou, Saidou