Hearts 1–1 Nordsjaelland: Late Røjkjær equaliser denies Jambos winning European start

Hearts were denied victory in their Conference League opener as Nicklas Røjkjær’s deflected equaliser earned Nordsjaelland a 1–1 draw at Tynecastle.

Oisin McEntee put the hosts ahead after 33 minutes, but missed opportunities to extend their advantage proved costly when the visitors struck four minutes from time.

Hearts vs Nordsjaelland: McEntee makes breakthrough

Malachi Fagan-Walcott started following his late addition to Hearts’ European squad, with Harry Milne captaining Wouter Vrancken’s side.

The hosts survived an early scare when Prince Amoako struck the post, before McEntee supplied the breakthrough.

Calvin Miller’s corner eventually reached Jamie McCart, whose header allowed McEntee to finish from close range.

Hearts threatened to take a firmer grip before half-time, but Andreas Hansen kept out McEntee and Josh McPake to leave the Danish side within reach.

Missed chances prove costly

McPake had a clear opportunity to double the lead after the interval, only to roll his effort wide after breaking through on goal.

Nordsjaelland continued to threaten at the other end, with Beau Reus making saves from Alexander Lind and Amoako as Hearts struggled to put the contest beyond their opponents.

The pressure eventually told when substitute Røjkjær’s shot took a deflection and beat Reus, leaving the home side to reflect on their earlier chances.

JJ Williams headed over late on as both teams finished their opening league-phase fixture with a point.

Hearts now visit Celtic on Sunday, with kick-off at 3pm, before travelling to Trabzonspor for their next European match on Thursday 22 October.