MOHAMED Salah scored one and set up the other as proved too strong for Hearts in the Conference League.
The Liverpool legend dinked in a first-half penalty before teeing up Franculino Dju to fire in a magnificent second after the interval in an efficient display from the Turkish side.
Hearts, depleted by numerous injuries to key first-team players, were lost full-back Harry Milne in training on the eve of this game and lined up with attacker Rogers Mato as their left-back.
And defender Christian Borchgrevink was forced off through injury on the stroke of half time as head coach Wouter Vrancken’s squad was further diminished.
Off the back of their 7-1 Scottish Premiership humbling by Celtic on Sunday, Hearts were under pressure to respond and should have taken an early lead when Malachi Fagan-Walcott hit a post with a free header.
However, Trabzonspor grew into the game and after two initial penalty claims were denied – the first for a close offside in the build-up – Salah stepped forward to slot his spot-kick down the middle of Beau Reus’ goal.
Franculino, who won the penalty when he was felled by Tomas Magnusson, curled into the far corner to double the lead after a well-weighted one-two with Salah.
The whipped strike, coming just shy of the hour, put paid to any faint Hearts hopes of a comeback as they remain winless in the competition.
Josh McPake flashed wide as the game petered out, and the hosts’ Sidny Lopes Cabral was shown a second yellow card for being a touch late on Sabah Kerjota.
Hearts remained diligent in their pressing and application, showing resilience and signs of a fightback from their chastening weekend,
