Hearts fans left ruing Shankland exit - Bell

Tuesday's bruising Champions League qualifying defeat by Sturm Graz will not be the last time Hearts fans will be ruing top scorer Lawrence Shankland's summer departure for Rangers, former Ibrox goalkeeper Cammy Bell has predicted. In their first competitive match under new head coach Wouter Vrancken, the Scottish Premiership runners-up paid for missed chances as the Austrians scored three times in 10 second-half minutes to all but put the tie beyond the visitors. "It was always going to be a difficult tie, but it is a damaging defeat, especially the manner of the goals that they lost," Bell told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. "To lose a goal from a long throw in after four minutes just sets you up for a poor night and they didn't react well to that. When they conceded that goal in the 50th minute, they almost collapsed for 10 minutes - you can't do that at the top level. "They had the opportunities, but if you don't put the ball in the back of the net against the quality opposition that Sturm Graz are then it's going to hurt you. "Hearts fans will be very frustrated. They're so used to watching a team that are so strong defensively and they just look really weak. "How do you lose a goal directly from a throw, not even a flick on, headed straight into the goal? That's unacceptable at that level. "After that, [Alexandros] Kyziridis had a chance - one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he doesn't even hit the target - and I think, if that's Lawrence Shankland, that's in the back of the net. "I think there'll be a lot of moments like that coming in the season ahead. "It looks like a real uphill battle. This tie's absolutely gone for them."