Heart-breaker as Athens strike late

Hearts 1 AEK Athens 2

The home side went ahead in the 61st minute when midfielder Saulius Mikoliunas slammed the ball into the net from close range after Roman Bednar’s effort rebounded off the post.

Four minutes later, Hearts midfielder Bruno Aguiar was sent off for two yellow cards, the second for kicking the ball away after the home side conceded a foul in the middle of the park.

With a minute of normal time remaining, Pantelis Kapetanos flicked a cross by substitute Stavros Tziortziopoulos past the helpless Gordon. And then, in a cruel finale, Christophe Berra deflected a shot from Nikos Liberopoulos into his own net.

In the 19th minute, Hearts’ best move of the game involving midfielder Neil McCann and Takis Fyssas ended with Mikoliunas blazing the ball over the bar from 16 yards, following the defender’s cross to the far side of the penalty area.

Hearts, who have built their recent success on pace and power, were often chasing shadows as AEK swept the ball around Murrayfield in impressive style.

On the half-hour mark, another Cesar corner from the right caused havoc in the Hearts’ defence before Berra calmly cleared the danger.

Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts coach Valdas Ivanauskas declined the chance to shuffle his side around at the break, opting to give the same 11 players the chance to make amends for their insipid first-half showing.

The traffic continued on its way to the Hearts goal but there must have been some encouragement for the home side because, for all their dominance, the Greek side could not get the goal their superiority deserved.

Then, in the 61st minute, Murrayfield erupted when the Jambos did get the opening goal.

Substitute Edgaras Jankauskas, on minutes earlier for Karipidis, broke free on the left and, when his pass came to Bednar, the Hearts striker slammed his right-footed shot from 12 yards past Athens keeper Stefano Sorrentino but off the post.

However, Mikoliunas gleefully drove the rebound home from barely eight yards out.

In the 65th minute, Aguiar, booked in the first half, was shown a second yellow card and consequently dismissed for kicking the ball away after the home side had conceded a foul in the middle of the park.

The Greeks continued to dominate and Cesar sent a 25-yard free-kick inches past the post with Gordon rooted to the spot.

In the closing stages Hearts were hanging on in desperation.

But the home side’s luck ran out in the 89th minute.

The Greek side scored a deserved equaliser when Kapetanos flicked a cross by substitute Tziortziopoulos past the helpless Gordon and in off the post.

Then deep into the four minutes of injury time Liberopoulos drove a shot at goal which struck Berra and sped past Gordon for the Greek side’s second goal.

HEARTS: Gordon, Neilson, Fyssas, Berra, Pressley, McCann, Mikoliunas, Aguiar, Karipidis (Jankauskas 55), Bednar (Wallace 69), Pospisil (Elliot 82).

AEK ATHENS: Sorrentino, Pautasso (Tziortziopoulos 80), Dellas, Cirillo, Georgeas, Emerson, Ivic, Koutroumanos (Lakis 65), Julio Cesar (Tozser 90), Liberopoulos, Kapetanos.

Referee: Nicolai Vollquartz (Denmark).

AC MILAN striker Filippo Inzaghi celebrated his 33rd birthday with the goal that secured a 1-0 win over Cork City’s conquerors Red Star Belgrade in their Champions League third qualifying round, first leg match.

Despite Inzaghi’s 22nd minute strike the six-times European champions still have a lot of work to do in the return match in two weeks’ time in the Serbian capital.

Milan, who originally finished runners-up in Serie A last season, found themselves in the Champions League qualifying round after being demoted to third place by an Italian sports tribunal that examined a match-rigging scandal.

UEFA cleared Milan to face Red Star due to a lack of legal grounds to exclude them.

Red Star gave the home side an early scare when Blagoj Georgiev was picked out unmarked inside the area but Milan’s Brazilian goalkeeper Dida saved well.

Brazilian Kaka then went close for Milan before providing the pass that allowed Inzaghi to confidently strike home from inside the area to put Carlo Ancelotti’s side ahead.

Milan had chances after the break but Red Star keeper Ivan Randjelovic was in top form as he twice foiled Alberto Gilardino and kept out an effort from Dutchman Clarence Seedorf to ensure the Serbians have everything to play for in the second leg.

AC MILAN: Dida, Cafu (Favalli 79), Costacurta, Simic, Serginho, Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo (Gourcuff 81), Inzaghi, Gilardino (Ambrosini 72), Kaka.

CRVENA ZVEZDA: Randjelovic, Pantic, Bisevac, Gueye, Basta, Jankovic (Krivokapic 89), Perovic (Tutoric 66), Kovacevic, Miladinovic (Djokic 86), Blagoy Georgiev, Zigic.