Hearts moved comfortably into the next stages of the UEFA Cup last night after ending the game as a contest early in the first half.
The result was as predictable as expected and if Jim Jefferies had wanted a decent run-out for his players to boost their confidence this was it. They may have had an indifferent start to their league campaign but their two UEFA Cup games against the Icelandic part-timers has proved to be a welcome respite from that.
Carrying a 2-0 lead into last night's game Jim Jefferies' side was always going to be in control and it was no surprise they added another three to that total last night through goals from Gary McSwegan, Robert Tomaschek and young Kris O'Neil. Even
Jefferies' decision to rest club captain Colin Cameron was expected as the midfielder has been playing below his best of late.
Certainly if the Hearts coach can learn anything from last night's game it is that he has an abundance of talent in the middle of the park to call on when one of his player's form shades.
Apart from that he will look on last night's win as only a confidence-boosting performance before they get back to league business against Dundee.
An indication of the gap between the two clubs was graphically illustrated with seven minutes left when IBV striker Steingrimur Johannesson was clean through on goal with only Antti Niemi to beat and no Hearts defenders anywhere near him.
The Icelandic internationalist who was just outside the six-yard box looked certain to score but instead caught his foot in the turf, trundled his shot wide and was carried off injured.
Whatever slight hope the Icelandic side had beforehand of even snatching a draw from the game was extinguished as early as the sixth minute when Hearts took the lead and virtually killed the tie.
Like the majority of the Tynecastle side's best moves it came from a long ball down the flanks and in behind the IBV defence.
Youngster Kris O'Neil was the provider down the left flank as he latched onto a ball over the top from Gary Naysmith before looking up and putting in an inch-perfect cross to Gary McSwegan.
The striker was back pedalling when he met the ball in the air and he did superbly well to control the header which he placed into the bottom right hand corner of
the net.
Indeed within the first quarter the Scottish internationalist had a realistic chance of scoring two more but he missed good opportunities after cutbacks on both occasions from Juanjo.
But those misses paled into insignificance when Hearts went further ahead in 19 minutes.
This was a rather scrappy affair with a McSwegan cross breaking to Scott Severin whose weak shot broke to the edge of the box and found Slovak internationalist Robert Tomaschek whose shot on the turn gave Birkir Kristinsson in the IBV goal no chance.
With Makel and Fulton directing traffic in the middle of the park IBV were constantly on the defensive. But around the half-hour mark the Hearts defence let their concentration slip a little to allow IBV's frontmen space in the box, but the IBV attack lacked any sort of punch.
In the main they relied on long-range efforts with only midfielder Ingi Sigurdsson forcing Antti Niemi into a save.
Hearts managed to up the tempo at will and should have made it three when O'Neil beat the offside trap but could only hit the IBV post before the ball was scrambled to safety.
However the youngster redeemed himself with the pick of the first half goals in 38 minutes when Tomaschek played a ball to him. He had his back to goal and looked as if he would play the ball back to an onrushing Juanjo.
Instead he turned defender Pall Almarsson superbly before firing in a low left foot shot into the corner of the net.
Jefferies brought on Austrian internationalist Thomas Flogel for Tomaschek at the start of the second-half in what was clearly a
cosmetic change to give the midfielder a run-out. It was now no more than a training run for the Tynecastle side and although their passing was crisp, their finishing left a lot to be desired with Fulton the main culprit as he blasted over an early second half chance.
By midway through the second half the atmosphere had died, along with the Icelanders chances, and for once during a European tie you could clearly hear from the stands the players shouting instructions to each other on the park.
On the hour mark Grant Murray was the next Hearts player to be given a run-out in place of Gary Locke who had lasted well, considering it was his first start of the season.
An indication of Hearts' superiority came from captain Steven Pressley who was determined to get forward at every opportunity, while Lee Makel seemed to want to shoot on sight.
McSwegan was sacrificed to give Andy Kirk a game and regardless of the number of changes to personnel the Tynecastle side made, the pattern of the game was never going to change.
Hearts - Niemi, Pressley, O'Neil, Locke, Naysmith, Severin, Tomaschek, Fulton, Makel, Juanjo, McSwegan. Substitutes - McKenzie, Murray, Flogel, James, Cameron, Kirk, Simpson.
IBV - Kristinsson, Gudmundsson, Aleksic, Stefansson, I Sigurdsson, Bragason, Johannesson, M Sigurdsson, Jonsson, Mileta, Almarsson. Substitutes - Gudmundsson, Vidarsson, Johansson, Olafsson, Egilsson, Thorvaldsson, Moller.
Referee - Antonio Costa (Portugal).
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