Jambos grind out victory to end their miserable run

HEARTS 2-1 KILMARNOCK

GRAEME CROSER

THE pre-match noises coming from the Hearts camp stated that a win-at-all-costs mentality would be adopted against Kilmarnock.

Nobody was to expect flashy football, just a performance brimful of commitment and determination as the players attempted to halt a run of four games without a victory.

In the end that’s what they delivered from an uninspiring match, but they can be thankful to young goalkeeper Craig Gordon for providing them with the platform to take the three points.

The Scotland Under-21 cap produced three excellent saves before Andy Kirk nodded the Jambos in front and his general demeanour exemplified the resolve in the ranks of the home side.

At one stage he furiously confronted Andy Webster whom he felt had placed the defence under undue pressure by giving away a corner.

Such a show of leadership from someone so young heartened boss Craig Levein who had watched his on-field general Steven Pressley limp out of action in the 19th minute with a recurrence of his thigh problem.

The head coach’s decision to risk both his captain and forward Mark De Vries after injury lay-offs gave a telling insight into the importance he placed on the game.

However, De Vries also had to retire from the action early as the hamstring strain which was clearly restricting his movement from the start eventually forced him to hobble off gingerly.

Ironically, the Dutchman’s withdrawal proved the catalyst for Hearts to take the lead.

Kevin McKenna, who had initially been sent on to replace Pressley in defence, was pushed into a striking role and had an immediate impact.

Three minutes into his new job he swung over an inch-perfect cross for Kirk who climbed well at the near post to head the ball down past Francois Dubourdeau.

The Canadian was also involved in the winner, helping the ball across the 18-yard line after Paul Hartley had appeared to have been tripped.

The home fans were still appealing for a penalty when Phil Stamp connected with the ball and sent a low shot skidding into the corner of the net.

Ex-Hearts forward Gary McSwegan climbed off the bench to net in injury-time after Kris Boyd had harried the defence but the goal was academic.

"First and foremost it was important that we won the game. We’ve played better than that in recent weeks and not got the results so it was nice to grind it out for a change," said Levein.

"We’ve not been getting the breaks - I thought even today that the referee should have given a penalty in the build-up to the second goal - but we showed character to earn the victory.

"To win like that goes some way towards making up for the disappointments in recent weeks.

"Killie went through a spell where they had a few efforts on goal and were coming at us but you’d expect that from a side which had won three games in a row.

"We had to rely on Craig today, he made some really good saves, and I was delighted to see him and Andy having a go at each other - it showed they care.

"I thought Kevin made a difference going up front. Mark wasn’t quite as mobile as he could have been and to be fair Kevin changed the game. He won just about every header in the forward area and put a great cross in for Andy Kirk’s goal."

After a week in which headlines were dominated by behind-the-scenes wrangling, Levein will have been happy to see the focus shift back on to the football.

Speculation of a fans’ protest were given credence by an over-the-top stewarding presence but proved unfounded as Tynecastle’s lowest SPL crowd of the season seemed content to concentrate on matters on the field.

The newly-formed supporters’ trust used the day to launch a ‘Keep Our Hearts in Gorgie’ campaign as opposition grows to the proposed sale of the stadium and switch to Murrayfield.

But there was no mass barracking of the board or chief executive Chris Robinson, save for a brief, half-hearted chant from a small section of the support.

Not even the sound of The Clash’s ‘Should I stay or Should I Go’ blaring out of the tannoy at half-time could provoke much response from a crowd who, to be fair, were probably expending most of their energy in keeping warm on a quite miserable afternoon.

Gordon gave them most to applaud about in the first period, leaping acrobatically to his right to tip over a Colin Nish long-ranger and then showing great presence of mind to race from his line and somehow block Boyd’s shot as the forward raced in on goal.

He made another decisive stop three minutes after the interval, brilliantly blocking a shot from Peter Canero as the midfielder seemed certain to open the scoring.

That proved Killie’s last true hope of winning the game as Hearts took control.

Jim Jefferies rightly felt his players had created the better opportunities in the game, but his team lacked the cutting edge which eventually won the match for his old club.

He said: "I thought we played well today but did not capitalise on our opportunities.

"Hearts had one and a half chances in the match - I felt Stamp’s was a half-chance - and scored two goals.

"We were the better side but we’ve come away with nothing. I’m delighted with the performance but if either Boyd or Canero had taken their chances the result might have been very different.

"However, their keeper deserves credit for making two or three really good saves."

Taken from the Scotsman