The stands were silent but Frankie Kent insists Hearts made their point loud and clear in Thursday’s Euro win over Dinamo Minsk.
Now the Jambos stopper has urged his team-mates to turn up the volume on Aberdeen as they chase a first Premiership victory of the season at Pittodrie this afternoon. Kent was a picture of emotion at the final whistle of the 2-1 Conference League win over Belarusian champs Dinamo in neutral Azerbaijan.
Joy and relief poured out the big Englishman as he celebrated the club’s first win of the season at the 11th attempt and his first ever Euro group game victory. But while supporters were locked out of the Sumgayit City Stadium due to UEFA sanctions against Belarus, Kent insists the Jambos were never going to suffer in silence. Not when they have so many players ready to fight for the jersey – and at times on Thursday night it even seemed with each other as the passion echoed through the empty stands.
Kent traded verbals with skipper Lawrence Shankland in the first half before Hearts fought back from losing the opening goal for the 10th game on the spin. And the 28-year-old reckons those moments only prove the desire in the side to turn the tide on a brutal start to the new campaign.
Asked what it was like playing with no fans, he said: “In some ways it’s easier. You could probably hear us – we were getting on to each other, demanding a lot out of each other like we always do in this group.
“We’re not scared to do it, we’re not scared to upset each other. That probably helped in terms of keeping us fired up.
“We know what we needed to do and that was to try our hardest to win the game. This feels good, really good. Obviously the start of the season has been testing, it’s been hard. I think the main feeling is just relief.
“There’s always pressure but the main thing is just relief because we do work so hard to try to make that happen. I think you saw on Thursday night that maybe our luck’s now turning.
“The own goal to equalise, the little deflection when Granty (Jorge Grant) went through before the winner and a good bit of quality from everyone involved in that goal.
“Obviously for me, a first win in Europe in terms of the group stage, I loved it. We probably weren’t at our best. But we showed good moments in the game in terms of when we were in possession and what we did off the ball.”
Despite the absence of supporters, interim boss Liam Fox and his players stayed out on the pitch for a lengthy spell after the full-time whistle. They soaked in the moment with the tiny band of directors and dignitaries situated behind the away dugout.
It’s a show of team spirit that Kent reckons can get Hearts back on track. He said: “Yeah, I don’t know why we did that! I don’t really know what happened there.
“It was probably because the group (directors) above us were there and whatever. It’s mad, it reminded me what the COVID season was like. But yeah, I did enjoy it.
“We have to enjoy these moments. I haven’t been a part of anything like this. So for me, it’s a big thing. Obviously, Craigy (Craig Gordon) has been a part of the Champions League and he said the same thing.
“He was like it was all unreal, it couldn’t get any better. A win away from home. And yeah, we just take it forward. We need to build on it now against Aberdeen in our next match.”
Hearts’ awful start to the season culminated in boss Steven Naismith getting the boot a fortnight ago amid a furious fan backlash. But Kent said: “I don’t think I ever doubted us. It’s probably just human nature that you just start to think ‘What is going on?’
“You try to put your finger on the problem and everyone’s been working so hard. That’s the thing. That’s been from the start of the season until now.
“There’s not been a point where we haven’t been working hard in training and trying to do everything right. I’m obviously hoping, and it’s easy for me to say it now, but maybe luck’s turning our way a little bit.
“It wasn’t the best performance in the world. We showed good bits and things we needed to improve on – but we just kept on going and kept on going. Now hopefully our luck will turn and we’ll have a good game against Aberdeen.”