Hearts produced an inspired display but failed to maintain their perfect start to the Conference League as they lost 2-0 to Bundesliga side Heidenheim at Tynecastle.
The Edinburgh side, buoyed by winning their opening two games in the tournament, looked to have their German visitors rattled as they created plenty of chances in the first half.
But they had to bemoan their failure to strike as Heidenheim instead made it three thanks to three second-half strikes from Sir Conte and substitute Jan Schoepner.
Despite this setback, the Scottish Premiership side remain in the top half of the Conference League table ahead of their trip to Circle Brugge in three weeks’ time.
Hearts boss Neil Critchley made two changes to the team that started Saturday’s league win over St Johnstone, with Adam Forrester and Stephen Kingsley replacing Daniel Oyegoki and Kai Rawls.
Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland looks dejected
Heidenheim, promoted from the seventh tier of German football to the Bundesliga, were supported by more than 700 traveling fans in what was only their third away match in Europe and their first game in the UK.
Hearts, who had won three of their previous four meetings with the German side at Tynecastle, started well to become the second Scottish side to beat a Bundesliga side this week, following Celtic’s Champions League triumph over RB Leipzig.
Laurence Shankland had a great chance to open the scoring in the third minute when the ball was kindly slotted into his path on the edge of the box after James Penrice had brought down Leonard Maloney, but the captain beat Kevin Muller’s legs.
Two second-half headers doomed Hearts to defeat
The Heidenheim keeper made another save, denying Shankland from a tight angle five minutes later after some nippy play from Ian Danda had been missed by Blair Spittal in the box.
Frankie Kent then headed a free from Spital’s corner at the back before Penrice pounced after Alan Forrest’s cross from the right fouled him just inside the box.
Spital and Forest both threatened with runs towards goal in quick succession as Hearts continued to look the more likely side to break the deadlock.
Strong in terms of chances created, the home side conceded a big one two minutes before the break when Malachi Boateng got back to clear the ball after Maloney’s header, in his 300th appearance for the Jambos – fired from inside their own six-yard box : the corner punch.
Hearts struggled to reassert themselves in the early stages of the second half and they fell behind in the 57th minute after sub Matthias Honsack dived down the left and crossed for Conte, who glanced a close-range header at the near post.
The hosts were in the game until the 89th minute when Schoepner headed home Omar Haktab Traore’s cross to seal victory for the Germans and set them up perfectly for their home clash against Chelsea in three weeks.
