A contentious incident unfolded in the second half at Tynecastle.
Neil Critchley insisted that Hearts did not deserve their 3-1 defeat to Rangers on Sunday and acknowledged being aware of a penalty appeal moments before the visitors’ second goal. Two own goals from Jamie McCart, either side of a Vaclav Cerny strike, secured victory for Rangers, despite Michael Steinwender briefly drawing Hearts level early in the second half on his home debut.
The home crowd was frustrated that a penalty was not awarded just before Rangers took a 2-1 lead. Teenage forward James Wilson went down in the box after a clear shove from Rangers centre-back Clinton Nsiala, but referee John Beaton allowed play to continue. Rangers quickly countered, and Cerny capitalized, leaving Hearts players in disbelief.
“I haven’t reviewed it yet, to be honest,” said Critchley. “There was a shout for it, but it was on the far side, so I didn’t see it clearly. However, we didn’t react well enough defensively afterward. We should have stopped them from reaching the edge of the box sooner. Adam [Forrester] made a great block, but the ball fell perfectly for Cerny, and he was clinical.”
Critchley felt the scoreline did not reflect Hearts’ performance. “I don’t think 3-1 is a fair result at all. It’s rare to outplay Rangers in terms of possession, passes, chances, and shots, yet still lose. We weren’t clinical enough, and we had some misfortune with the goals. But there were so many positives. We played aggressively, took the game to them, and went toe-to-toe. I thought we were excellent.”
Hearts deployed a diamond midfield, with Lawrence Shankland supporting strikers Wilson and Elton Kabangu. The Belgian, on loan, had four shots saved by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland in a strong attacking display, with Hearts registering 21 efforts on goal. “We knew there was a risk in how we set up because they have quality players,” Critchley explained. “If you mistime a press or make the wrong decisions, they have the technical ability to break through, which they did at times.
“But we defended well in those moments, won the ball numerous times, and exploited the spaces they left. Elton, James, and Shanks linked up effectively. We just didn’t convert our chances. Tactically, our approach worked, but sometimes you need key moments to go your way, and today they didn’t.”
McCart endured a tough evening with two own goals and looked disheartened at full-time. “These are the moments that need to go your way in big games,” Critchley admitted. “For the first goal, the ball just ricocheted off him as he recovered. The third goal, he tried to clear but couldn’t get enough on it to steer it away from Dessers.
“Even at 3-1, we had big chances to make it 3-2 with plenty of time left. The result is disappointing, but not our performance. I felt we deserved more.”
Kabangu was frustrated at not scoring despite his efforts. “He came off disappointed, saying he should have scored,” Critchley revealed. “But I can’t criticize him. He played his role perfectly and got into the right positions.
“Butland made a superb save, tipping one around the post. Another hit his arm and deflected past the goal—sometimes you just need a bit of luck. On another day, he could have had one or two goals.”
