How Yan Dhanda earned Hearts £335k with late goal v Dinamo Minsk

The hosts at the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium took the lead when Steven Alfred converted a cross in the opening quarter of the match. Hearts fought back and drew level later in the half when Sergei Politevich steered a James Penrice corner into his own net despite not being under any pressure.

The second half was a lot more huffing and puffing than quality. Lawrence Shankland had a handful of half chances but just as it looked like neither side did enough to deserve the win, the Hearts captain saw a header turned into the net by Yan Dhanda scoring his first goal for the club.

Joel Sked provides his takeaways from Azerbaijan...

The drought ends

Hearts have finally won a game and what a way to get it and what a time to get it. It looked like being a missed opportunity for Liam Fox's men. They had struggled to break down a mediocre, at best, Dinamo Minsk. There was plenty of effort but not nearly enough quality. To the team's credit, they continued to push for a winner with a handful of half-chances created, most of which fell to Lawrence Shankland. But as the clock ticked down they had registered an expected goals figure of 0.34 from nine shots. That was until Jorge Grant lifted a ball back across goal for Shankland to head back from where it came where Yan Dhanda was waiting to nod into the net for a brilliant moment for him and a fantastic moment for Hearts. It was a goal that netted the club £335,940 but also got the monkey off the back of the team having had the worst start to a season in the club's history. It is a goal that could kick-start and even transform the season. It should bring confidence and maybe help build momentum going to Aberdeen on Sunday. While the quality at times can be lacking the team can't be faulted for their staying power, scoring twice in stoppage time in the space of a week.

Kent the leader

Just past the hour mark, Minsk attempted a long-range effort. It didn't travel too far, the ball blocked by Frankie Kent's face. It came only moments after a cross from the right was heading to Alfred ready to convert centrally only for the Hearts centre-back to get across him and make a crucial clearance. More than just his defensive qualities – heading, blocking, tackling – it's his leadership qualities that become even more evident without a crowd. He talked, encouraged, directed, shouted and cajoled throughout the game. He wanted to organise the team out of possession but also keep their focus. The Englishman is one of few Hearts players who have a safe and secure spot in the starting XI.

Deja vu

When Stephen Alfred guided the ball into the back of the Hearts net after 21 minutes there was a strong feeling of deja vu. Kent said as much as his voice echoed around the Mehdi Huseynzade Stadium. Something along the lines of tracking runners, every time and with an expletive thrown in. Rai Lopes had skipped by Alan Forrest with ease to set up the Nigerian who was completely unmarked. That was just one part of the deja vu. The other was the fact the team had settled well and had been the better of the two sides, albeit without creating much in attack themselves. There had at least some nice build-up play. Not building on that is causing the team a number of issues. Those issues become more pronounced when cheap goals are given up as well. It's happened time and time again. The team have now played 11 matches and not scored the opening goal of the match.

Lack of spark and invention

It was a big night for Barrie McKay, Alan Forrest and Blair Spittal. Two had been brought into the starting XI while Forrest maintained his place. It was a big night because it gave them all an opportunity to stake a claim for one of the roles in the attack and midfield. No one has done enough in key attacking and creative roles to put themselves into the 'undroppable' category. That theme continued in Azerbaijan. Hearts continue to lack invention, spark and speed – both simple pace and the speed at which they move the ball. So much of the play remains too slow, allowing the opposition to sit in their shape or too many unnecessary passes are made. Individually, all three were below par. Forrest was the first replaced after an unforgettable attacking performance while defensively he allowed his man to run off him for the first goal. McKay tried to force the issue early on but nothing came off and was largely a peripheral figure. Meanwhile, Spittal started brightly and linked play well in the opening stages but faded, still not reprising his talismanic form at Motherwell which earned him a move to Tynecastle Park.

Surreal experience

Hearts had travelled a long way to play this fixture. On the western banks of the Caspian Sea, just the 4,800km from Tynecastle Park. And they did so in front of just a handful of fans. Media, ground staff, hospitality, security and club staff made up the small number in attendance. For Minsk it was nothing new for they had been playing behind closed doors for home European fixtures since 2022. For Hearts it was a return to Covid times. Beni Baningime jokingly applauded the crowd when he jogged out for the pre-match warm-up. By the time of kick-off, following a couple of 'Come on Hearts' shouts from the stands, it was Kent's time to shine. His booming voice made it like he had been mic'd up for the occasion. Barely seconds were on the clock when he was telling his team mates to win "seconds". That was the only constant, aside from the occasional blast of the referee's whistle and the ball being thumped around the pitch rather than caressed. It was surreal but far less enjoyable without fans. It is unfair that the club's support have been punished due to issues far outwith their control. UEFA playing the game thousands of kilometres away and behind closed doors, denying fans the chance of a really exciting European away trip to a country few would normally choose or have the chance to visit. It also takes away the experience for the players and diminishes the fixture somewhat.