Liam Fox dedicates Hearts' late Conference League win to locked out fans as he makes 'doesn't get better' admission

Proud Liam Fox dedicated Hearts’ dramatic last gasp win over Dinamo Minsk to the Jambos fans locked out and forced to watch the tie back in Edinburgh, writes Fraser Wilson in Azerbaijan.

The caretaker boss said the 2-1 win on neutral territory was his greatest dugout moment after Yan Dhanda headed home his first goal for the club in the 94th minute. No punters made the 3300-mile trek to Eastern Europe after the game was moved behind closed doors due to UEFA’s sanctions against Belarus for their involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.

But Fox knows they’ll have been watching in boozers and living rooms back in Scotland as Hearts ended their wait for a first win of the season at the 11th attempt. It’s the perfect start to the Europa Conference League campaign ahead of Omonia Nicosia visiting Tynecastle later this month and earned the club £335,000 in winnings. And Fox said: "The players worked so hard, so hard.

“I’m thrilled for the players, but the only disappointment was that we didn't have support here tonight. So I'm hoping that in the pubs and the houses back home, we've got them off their couches.

“If you're going to win a game, that's the way to win a game. Overall, at the moment, just pure joy for the supporters and the players.

“I’m not sure it's going to get better than that (for me). As a coach, you chase these nights, you chase these highs, so we'll enjoy it tonight.

“But the thing about even being an interim manager at this club is that the next game is the most important. We know the pressure that comes having to win as much and as often as we can, the demand from the supporters.

“We get ourselves back on the flight and then we've got another huge test away to Aberdeen on Sunday, who are absolutely flying