Late Røjkjær Equaliser Denies Hearts Win in 1-1 Conference League Draw With Nordsjælland

Hearts were denied a winning start to their Conference League campaign as Nordsjælland scored an 86th-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 at Tynecastle on Thursday, October 15, in round one of the league phase.

Hearts took the lead in the 33rd minute and were the better side in the first half. Josh McPake had a shot saved and Harry Milne's effort took a deflection and went wide, before Calvin Miller curled in a corner. Jamie McCart headed it down and Oisin McEntee reacted first to stab the ball in from close range with his left foot. The goal came from the best spell of the half. Goalkeeper Andreas Hansen kept out efforts from McEntee and McPake before the interval, and after a sharp corner Hearts came within centimetres of making it 2-0, but Hansen kept the ball out of the net.

Hearts coach Wouter Vrancken had Milne as captain, and Malachi Fagan-Walcott started after a late addition to the club's European squad. The home side had comfortable possession, but they could not get the second goal that would have made the match safe.

Nordsjælland, the Danish side, stayed in the match and made their move late on. In the 86th minute, JJ Williams failed to hold the ball under little pressure, and the visitors broke forward. Substitute Nicklas Røjkjær shot from the edge of the penalty area. His effort was heading straight at goalkeeper Beau Reus, but it took a deflection off McCart and looped past Reus into the net.

Egypt international Ibrahim Adel played the full 90 minutes for Nordsjælland and was booked in the 55th minute. The result gave the Danish side their first European point away from home this season, and it denied Hearts an opening-night win in the competition.

It was the opening league-phase match of the Conference League for both clubs, and each side now has one point from their first game.