HEARTS responded from the disappointment of losing the opening goal to narrowly edge last night’s Europa League clash against Infonet.

It was an unconvincing performance against an Estonian team making their maiden appearance on the European stage.

But this was a Hearts side in their first competitive game of the season taking on a team that already have 17 domestic league matches under their belt.

Hearts conceded a dreaded away goal after 21 minutes when Jevgeni Harin exhibited his acrobatic skills after sweeping a stunning volley into the net from 12 yards.

Prince Buaben levelled from the penalty spot seven minutes later before Infonet captain Andrei Kalimullin scored an own goal 10 minutes before the break.

Hearts won but the tie is on a knife-edge ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg in Tallinn.

“The fitness aspect made it twice as hard,” conceded Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson. “We looked rusty in the first half an hour.

“These games are always difficult. When we saw them, we looked at the CVs – they’re a good team, guys with 100 caps.

“They have good players who have played at decent levels so we knew it would be tough.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who haven’t played any European football.”

Hearts, who handed debuts to Faycal Rherras and Conor Sammon, possessed enough quality but they were rough around the edges in their first competitive match of the season.

Infonet looked sharp although the chances they created during the earlier exchanges owed a lot to lapses in concentration at the back for Hearts.

Both Callum Paterson and John Souttar could have done better as Harin and Vladimir Voskoboinikov both got separate shots away, the second of which new No.1 Jack Hamilton dealt with comfortably.

After Juanma glanced a header inches wide, Infonet hushed the 14,000 home fans with the opening goal.

Dmitri Kruglov’s cross was volleyed into the in acrobatic fashion by Harin, the airborne playmaker finding the target from 12 yards.

But the hosts levelled seven minutes later after Icelandic referee Vilhjalmur Alvar Thorarinsson adjudged that Vladimir Avilov handled Juanma’s pass in the box, with Buaben sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from 12 yards.

Hearts then went ahead in the 35th minute after the unfortunate Kalimullin was credited with an own goal.

The Gorgie outfit should not have needed his kind donation after Paterson was guilty of missing a gilt-edged chance at the back post.

But by sending Jamie Walker’s corner back into the congested six-yard box, the ball ricocheted off the Infonet captain and rolled into the net.

Hearts struggled to create any clear-cut openings after the break. At the other end Hamilton had to look lively to repel Aleksandr Volodin’s effort.