Hearts 2 Kilmarnock 2

Hearts and Kilmarnock fought out a dramatic 2-2 draw at Tynecastle with each side scoring in the final throes of a furious battle.

It was high drama at the end of a drab game which was spoiled by swirling wind and rain. Hearts had looked down and out but Colin Cameron had equalised an early Gus MacPherson goal with only seven minutes to go.

The home side then took an undeserved lead right at the end of normal time through Spanish substitute Juanjo. But the drama was complete when, almost with the last touch of the match, Killie snatched a point with a Christophe Cocard equaliser.

In the first half there was no indication that the game would end in such an exciting way.

Both sides struggled to compete with the elements and skilful football was an impossibility.

Hearts had an early scare when Killie midfielder Ian Durrant raced on to a throughball seemingly yards offside.

But his cut-back was easily turned away from the danger area by Hearts defender Paul Ritchie.

It was the Ayrshire team who were having the bulk of possession with Durrant and Gary Holt showing nice touches.

Hearts came close to breaking the deadlock against the run of play in 20 minutes when a Scott Severin shot went narrowly past the post.

Hearts had three players, Cameron, Ritchie and Gary McSwegan, all in contention for next month's double header against England but the Tynecastle stars struggled to make any impact against the resolute Kilmarnock defence.

On the half-hour there was a welcome moment of controversy in an otherwise dull first half when Killie keeper Michael Watt blocked a Darren Jackson outside the box, with Hearts claiming handball.

But after consulting with his assistant, referee Jim McCluskey gave a drop-ball just outside the box.

This decision angered the home support and they subjected the referee to a barrage of abuse.

Hearts had the ball in the net after 56 minutes but Thomas Flogel was judged to have been in an offside position.

Kilmarnock started the second half brightly with Durrant and Holt again controlling the midfield. The visitors nearly took the lead but Durrant's free-kick from 20 yards was, in the end, comfortably held by Giles Rousset.

The game raged from end to end but neither side but fashion clear-cut chances.

Durrant continued to pull the strings midfield as Kilmarnock applied pressure to the home side's goal.

It was no surprise in 64 minutes when the visitors took the lead. Killie full-back MacPherson picked up a pass from Cocard and drove a glorious 25-yard shot high into the Hearts net.

Just when the game seemed to be fizzling out for an away win Hearts equalised. Cameron picked up a Flogel pass, unmarked, 10 yards from goal. He killed the ball stone dead and curled a lovely shot past Michael Watt.

This set the game up for a grandstand finish and Hearts went all out for the winner - which they thought he had achieved when a Severin pass found Juanjo free on the edge of the Killie box.

The little winger took a touch and smashed it past the helpless Watt.

But there was more drama to follow. With the crowd whistling for the final whistle Cocard was on the end of a Martin Baker cross to head the equaliser from three yards out.

Teams

Hearts: Rousset, Flogel, Pressley, James (Juanjo 69), Ritchie, Naysmith, Severin (Fulton 69), Cameron, Jackson,Adam (Wales 57), McSwegan.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Murray.

Goals: Cameron 83, Juanjo 90.

Kilmarnock: Watt, MacPherson, Dindeleux, Lauchlan, Baker, Mitchell, Reilly, Durrant, Holt, Cocart, Jeffrey (Vareille 79).

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Mahood, Hessey, Davidson.

Booked: Lauchlan, MacPherson.

Goals: MacPherson 64, Cocart 90.

Att: 12,541

Ref: Jim McCluskey (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com