A ridiculous Jamie McCart own goal set the tone as Wouter Vrancken's side made it all to easy for the Swiss champions

Hearts’ Europa Conference League hopes are hanging by a thread after they were thumped in Thun, writes Scott Burns in Switzerland.

The Jambos were injury-hit but their performance in this 3-1 defeat in the Visana Stadium was miles off the level. Yes, Thun are the Swiss champions but they currently sit ninth in their domestic league.

A Jamie McCart own goal and strikes from Brighton Labeau and Furkan Dursan put the Swiss on a roll to pick up their first points in this competition, despite Stuart Findlay’s late counter.

Thun had a similar season to Hearts last season but were able to achieve the fairytale ending that their visitors were denied. They had won the Swiss top-flight title for the first time in their history and like the Jambos, had lost their manager and several key players over the summer.

Thun had also started up in the Champions League qualifiers and fallen from there to the Europa League and now the Conference League. Yet they looked more at home in the Conference League and left the Jambos facing a nightmare night.

Hearts sit with one point from their first three games. Monaco are up next at Tynecastle and it is fair to say the odds are stacked against Wouter Vrancken and his men - unless he can get some bodies back.

The Edinburgh side travelled to Swiss without an entire outfield team and they left with Stephen Kingsley added to that list.

Craig Halkett, Harry Milne, Christian Borchgrevnik , Eduardo Ageu, Blair Spittal, Tom Renauld, Rogers Mato and Oisin McEntee. Tomas Magnusson and Calvin Miller were added to after the Hibs’ defeat. The Icelandic midfielder is out with concussion, while Miller has suffered a meniscus injury which is likely to keep him out for at least two months.

It meant the Hearts head coach had to make do and mend. Kingsley moved to right-back, McCart moved to the left-back position with Findlay and Malachi Fagan-Walcott in the middle.

Jorge Altena moved into central midfield beside Laurent Mendy. Sabah Kerjota and Josh McPake on the flanks with Sabri Guendouz behind Claudio Braga.

Youngster Finlay Pollock Matthew Gillies and Gus Stevenson were part of a rather bare looking bench. But they should have still performed better than they did.

Tragic tributes, pitch issues and up in early smoke

There was a minute’s silence before the game to remember Tenerife star Jesus de Miguel who tragically passed away earlier this week. The artificial surface wasn’t the best. Vrancken expressed his concern pre-match. It was hard and wasn’t the best of surfaces, although it was the same for both teams.

The game was also delayed within the first minute after Thun ultras behind the goal set off a number of red smoke bombs. The Cypriot referee had to halt the game for eight minutes before the smoke finally cleared and play could resume. Both sides had early chances, with McPake forcing Niklas Steffen into a couple of saves.

McCart’s costly mistake

Thun got on top. as Hearts gave them a helping hand. Marco Burki’s long ball was flicked on by Dursan. It came across the goal and McCart tried to deal with it, but instead put it into his own net in the 22nd minute. Beau Reus had very little chance as his defender stuck it low past his left hand. This Hearts team was already up against it but to shoot themselves in the foot like that was a real blow to the confidence.

Brighton stops hearts Blooming

Brighton Labeau’s electric pace was there for all to see. Every time he got the ball he left the Jambos defence on the back foot. However, it was his finishing that left Hearts on the brink in this game. Nils Reichmuth was able to run almost the entire left-hand side before he crossed. Kingsley managed to get his foot on it, but it fell kindly to Labeau who fired high past Reus in the 34th minute. The disappointing thing for Vrancken and his men was that they hadn’t been cut open but it had been more self-inflicted. Kerjota did hit the post but his effort was flagged offside. A lot of the 1,000 plus Hearts support booed their side off at the interval.

Kingsley’ injury adds to Hearts’ woes.

Vrancken knew the next goal was vital. He opened up in an attacking style in the second period. They pecked Thun back but conceded another cheap goal. Reichmuth’s long diagonal saw Durban get there in front of Stuart Findlay to net in the 57th minute. Fagan-Walcott was denied but it was Reus who was the far busier.

The tin lid was put on Hearts night when captain Kingsley pulled up with what looks like a hamstring issue. He is now likely to face a spell on the sidelines. Matthew Gillies replaced him late on. Thun had the ball in the net again but Jan Bamert had strayed offside. James Wilson and JJ Williams also came on, but by then this game was done and dusted.

Scant consolation

The best Hearts could come top with was a consolation goal to reward the maroon and white legions. Altena curled in a free kick and Findlay headed in at the back post in the 82nd minute. Thun then looked shaky for a few minutes. It left Hearts with a feeling of what could have been. The Jambos support booed again at the whistle, before they clapped their players and management team at the end. They all knew it was an opportunity lost.