Hearts secured a much-needed first victory of the season on Thursday night away to Dinamo Minsk.
They might have had to play in Azerbaijan behind closed doors to get it, but interim boss Liam Fox and the players won’t care after an injury-time Yan Dhanda goal secured a 2-1 win in their Europa Conference League opener.
It leaves the team in a positive mood ahead of their latest Premiership test, away to Aberdeen, where they will aim for their first domestic win this campaign after a draw against Ross County last weekend halted a losing run.
Amid a hunt for a permanent head coach to succeed Steven Naismith, the pundits provided their take on the game and Hearts’ current situation, with two tips for head coach. Have a look.
1. Billy Dodds (Sportsound)
"The coach coming in, it will be fresh ideas. You hope to hit the ground running with that because if he doesn't and he struggles to get the way he wants to play, then it could go on longer. He could come in with fresh and bang off, they go and run. There's no chance of getting relegated. They have a job in their hands to reach top six but they are more than capable, a huge club. I think they will finish top six if they get some momentum going." | Getty Images
2. Derek McInnes (TNT Sports)
"Brilliant, fantastic how the game plays out. It says a lot about a team getting late goals. They showed a wee bit more adventure in that last attack and get the reward. That will feel like everything and it will be a happy flight home." | SNS Group
3. Ryan McGowan (TNT Sports)
"It's amazing. It's exactly what the club needed. It wasn't a great game to watch but a Hearts win is exactly what they needed. Hopefully it kickstarts the season. Great for Dhanda to score." | SNS Group
4. Allan Preston (Sportsound)
"This is a brilliant result for them. It's a great ball in from Grant and Shankland does the right thing, back across goal and there's Dhanda. Brilliant stuff." | SNS Group