It’s a team game – Hearts boss refuses to blame individuals for defeat in Bruges

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley stressed the need for collective responsibility after captain Lawrence Shankland’s missed penalty proved costly in Belgium.

Shankland’s season went from bad to worse when he blazed over from 12 yards in the 82nd minute after a handball offence was spotted by the VAR team with Hearts trailing 1-0 to Cercle Brugge.

The striker soon missed a headed chance before a deflected goal in the last minute consigned his team to a 2-0 Conference League defeat.

The 29-year-old Scotland international has followed a prolific season in which he scored 33 goals for club and country with a difficult period that has seen him find the net just once in 20 matches this term.

Critchley did not broach the subject in a Hearts TV interview but he refused to blame individuals after his side failed to make the most of a number of promising openings.

“We have to take responsibility in how we prepare and never come out and blame any individual,” he said. “We win together, we lose together. That’s the name – it’s a team game.

“I’m desperately disappointed for the supporters who travelled in great numbers. We want to give them a goal and a win and  unfortunately we have not been able to do that.”

He added: “It was a game of fine margins. First half, little between the two teams, not a lot of chances at either end.

“We give a poor goal away near half-time. We lose the middle of the pitch and then don’t defend well enough on the edge of the box.

“I thought we were much the better team in the second half, had some good moments and good chances. And in a game of few chances, you have to take them. We haven’t done that.”