Hearts 0 Liverpool 1: BRENDAN RODGERS is perfectly open about the fact the Europa League isn't anywhere near the summit of his priorities list during his first season in charge at Anfield. By his own admission, a "small" Liverpool squad ensures that.
Yet Liverpool’s manager will be grateful for an instant response from his players – in terms of result at least – to Saturday’s humbling at the hands of West Bromwich Albion. Avoiding embarrassment, and more negative discussion, from a visit to Edinburgh was Rodgers’s main aim. Mission accomplished on that front.
Rodgers selected only four of the players who started that 3-0 defeat at the Hawthorns for the first leg of this play-off tie. Hearts’ youngsters are worthy of credit for their display against more illustrious opposition but they still face a massive task in overturning this tie next week on Merseyside.
An own goal from Andy Webster sealed Liverpool’s win against the Scottish Cup holders, even if Hearts could argue they were good value for at least a draw.
In the first period particularly, Hearts strongly belied any sense this was a football mismatch. By full-time the Hearts players were deserving of the warm ovation they received from their fans.
A year ago, Tottenham Hotspur arrived at Tynecastle for a Europa League playoff first leg and swaggered back across the border with a 5-0 win. That evening provided the latest, harrowing reminder of how comparisons between prominent clubs in England and Scotland have been rendered illegitimate by a financial gulf.
Albeit Liverpool fielded an infinitely weaker team here than Spurs did then, Hearts have been blunted by the loss of key players at the end of last season because of budgetary constraints. John McGlynn was appointed as the Hearts manager this summer with firefighting in mind.
Hearts will at least have felt the monetary benefit, then, of this occasion. From kick-off, the hosts’ mission was to prove they would not be as overawed.
Andy Carroll took a seat in the Tynecastle directors’ box after being ruled out of this fixture with a hamstring complaint. Rogers had brought the ex-Newcastle United striker north with the intention of starting him.
In Carroll’s absence, Fabio Borini led the visiting attack. Yet the first glimpse of an opening fell to Hearts, John Sutton only narrowly failed to capitalise on a lax Jamie Carragher backpass.
Charlie Adam responded immediately, with a driving run and shot which had the home goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald scrambling.
Liverpool’s most menacing early threats arrived from Raheem Sterling, their 17-year-old attacker. His 29th minute angled shot forced MacDonald to punch to safety. An even better opportunity fell to Borini, who failed to properly connect with a fine Jordan Henderson cross.
Hearts had a let-off just seconds before the interval. After Mehdi Taouil cheaply gifted possession to Liverpool, Sterling played in Borini whose shot rebounded off the upright. .
The second half lacked the routinely frantic pace of the first. Liverpool made the first move at raising the tempo by withdrawing Jack Robinson and sending Stewart Downing on as a replacement. Joe Allen was the next to appear, Jay Spearing sacrificed by Rodgers on that occasion.
McGlynn lacked the options of his counterpart. Nonetheless, even with half an hour to play it was easy to infer both sides would settle for a goalless draw from a scrappy encounter.
The crucial goal arrived in similarly scrappy circumstances. Martin Kelly found sufficient space on the right flank to throw a low cross into dangerous territory. The ball rather struck Webster more than flew into the Hearts net on account of any attempt at a clearance. Webster’s colleagues had made an equally significant error by not clearing the danger.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper saved well from Callum Paterson in the dying seconds. Victory belonged to the visitors, to Rodgers’ relief.
HEARTS:MacDonald, Ryan McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Paterson, Barr (Robinson 87), Taouil, Novikovas (Carrick 84), Templeton (Driver 79), Sutton. Subs not used: Enckelman, Gordon Smith, Dylan McGowan, McHattie. Booked: Barr.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Robinson (Downing 62), Henderson, Adam, Spearing (Allen 67), Shelvey, Borini (Morgan 90), Sterling. Subs not used: Jones, Coates, Lucas, Flanagan.
Referee:Florian Meyer (Germany).
Guardian Service
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