Bungling Lawrence Shankland blasted for Hearts miss but Scotland ace should not be only one feeling fans' ire

The captain - this team’s talisman - was presented with the biggest chance of his season, an opportunity to add to his measly one goal in a wretched 2024/25 campaign, to equalise in a crucial Europa Conference League tie and ease some of the pressure that is mounting around him.

Shankland connected with the spot-kick well enough but gave it too much loft. The ball whistled over the crossbar and Delanghe celebrated with his teammates. Right on 90 minutes, Cercle Brugge added a second goal to kill off the match and win 2-0. There can be no underplaying Shankland’s miss.

Belgium is not a happy hunting ground for the forward. He spent an ill-fated season there with Beerschot. The dejected Shankland felt the ire at full-time as the sizeable visiting support made their feelings known on his form. Out of contract at the end of this season, the 29-year-old admitted last week that he is likely to leave Tynecastle next summer. Some Hearts fans would be pleased with such an outcome.

Shankland scored 31 goals last season for Hearts as he became one of the most lethal players in Scotland, firing the club to a third-placed Premiership finish. He went to the Euros with the national team. He was heavily linked with a big-money move away from Gorgie this time last year. What a difference in 12 months. He and Hearts are 11th in the league, struggling for wins and goals, and not building on their excellent start to their European campaign.

Shankland continues to work exceptionally hard for this team. He makes all the right runs and gets into scoring positions. Against Cercle Brugge, he came desperately close with a backheel and header that both drifted a fraction wide of the post. Fine margins are going against him, such is the life of an out-of-form striker.

However, Shankland was not the only failure in front of goal in Bruges. This Hearts team have become overly reliant on him. Others are not chipping in. Costa Rican forward Kenneth Vargas was given his first start since comments suggesting he wanted to leave the Jambos due to the standard of football in this country. Perhaps it is he that is not cutting the mustard.

Vargas has pace to burn and gets involved in plenty of attacks but the 22-year-old's lack of composure in front of goal has cost Hearts domestically and was a problem in this continental clash. Twice he was presented with good chances in front of Delanghe, but on each occasion he shot meekly at the keeper.

Hearts do not have many other options in attack and they must lament the inactivity during the summer on the transfer front when bringing in a striker. It is no surprise new head coach Neil Critchley and sporting director Graeme Jones, who started his post this week, have prioritised a front man in the January sales.

What will frustrate Hearts the most is that this match was winnable. Cercle Brugge are not in good form domestically, emphasised by the paltry home crowd that turned up for this match, and ceded plenty of possession to their visitors. They were without their main striker Kevin Denkey, suspended for a red card in the last round of fixtures, although his replacement Paris Brunner - just 18 - was a handful for the Hearts defence with his pace.

The hosts opened the scoring on 40 minutes when Nils de Wilde spotted Malamine Efekele free on the right. The 20-year-old Frenchman’s effort was sclaffed so badly that it evaded a block from Frankie Kent and deceived goalkeeper Craig Gordon. Cercle Brugge’s lead was undeserved, the opener laced with fortune.

Hearts had the better chances in the second period and pushed for an equaliser. Their time came on 82 minutes when VAR spotted a handball from Lithuanian substitute Edgaras Utkus when challenging Kent for an aerial ball. It was Hearts’ first penalty of the season - one wonders whether Shankland will be on the next one after his miss.

The positivity drained from the Edinburgh club after that. Brunner rattled the bar from close range but Hearts’ goal remained uncharmed when Gary Magnee’s strike brushed off Daniel Oyegoke and flew past a wrong-footed Gordon.

Had Hearts even earned a draw in Belgium, they would be on the cusp of playing in this competition after Christmas in at least the play-off round following their opening wins over Dinamo Minsk and Omonoia. They have two more bites of the cherry - away at Copenhagen on December 12 before hosting Petrocub a week later. Shooting boots are required, and not just from Shankland.