Robbie Neilson last night admitted ten-man Hearts suffered a baptism of fire against Fiorentina but believes the defeat hasn't buried their Europa Conference League qualification hopes.
A 3-0 loss at Tynecastle to a slick Serie A side was compounded with a late red card for teenager Lewis Neilson as the Edinburgh club were outclassed throughout. First half goals from Rolando Mandragora and Christian Kouame had La Viola in cruise control before Luka Jovic fired a late third after Neilson had been dismissed for a last man foul.
The Jambos also conceded second spot on the Group A table to the impressive Italians and now sit third on three points with a trip to Florence next week now a make-or-break occasion for their Europa Conference League qualification hopes. But Neilson insists his side must bank the sobering experiences for the challenges ahead. He said: “I’m disappointed with the result. I think this is a huge learning curve, playing against a very good Fiorentina team.
