Hearts 3 Kilmarnock 0

Ramon Pereira bagged his first goal for Hearts as they cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Kilmarnock at Tynecastle.

Graham Weir netted the only goal of the first period in the 18th minute before Pereira opened his goalscoring account after the break.

Skipper Steven Pressley left Killie with no chance when he fired home the third from the penalty spot with 19 minutes remaining.

But, whether the home side had won or not, emotions around the ground were running high after the board announced a conditional agreement to sell their Tynecastle stadium for £22million.

The Save Our Hearts campaign group used the game against Kilmarnock to hand out fliers making it clear they were unhappy with this week's developments.

Hearts have retained the right to pull out of the deal with CALA Management before January 31 if they receive a better alternative proposal and released a statement insisting they would still consider any sale and lease-back plans from Edinburgh businessman Robert McGrail and ex-chairman Leslie Deans.

The home support spent much of the game making their feelings towards the present Robinson and the board known.

But former Jambo, Allan Johnston, was also the subject of boos and jeers after making his debut for Killie.

Indeed, the jeers could have swiftly turned to cheers as Hearts could have been ahead as early as three minutes.

Alan Maybury sent a dangerous cross into the box and Weir tried to flick onto Paul Hartley but goalkeeper Alan Combe intercepted before he could connect.

However, the home side took the lead in the 18th minute when Pereira supplied a superb cross from the right wing after taking the ball past Garry Hay.

And Combe was left with no chance when Weir bulleted the header past him from just outside the six-yard box.

Kilmarnock were unlucky not to draw level when Johnston released Gary McDonald into the box and he squared into the path of the on-rushing Danny Invincibile.

But the Killie hitman was just too late to make the connection and a great chance was lost.

Killie boss Jim Jefferies made the first change of the game 10 minutes into the second-half when he replaced Gary Wales with Craig Dargo, but, before he even had a chance to make an impact, Hearts were two goals ahead.

Pereira then opened his account when he met Joe Hamill's cross before sending the header past Combe in the 57th minute.

Only a breathtaking display of goalkeeping from Combe saved Killie from falling further behind a few minutes later when he denied a Stamp shot before blocking two consecutive efforts from Andy Webster.

Johnston's first game as a Kilmarnock player came to an end after 64 minutes when he was forced to make way for Stephen Murray as the Rugby Park side tried desperately to salvage something from the game.

His departure from the pitch provoked almost as big a response from the Hearts' supporters as the two goals had on a day to forget for the player.

Murray had a massive impact on the game for all the wrong reasons when he brought down Robbie Neilson in the box and Pressley confidently blasted the resultant spot-kick past Combe in the 71st minute.

Kilmarnock already had little chance of taking anything from the game, but Pereira could have hammered the final nail in the coffin with 15 minutes to go when he met a Stamp ball in the area only to fire straight at the Killie goalkeeper.

A few seconds later, Craig Levein made his first change when he replaced Hamill with Jamie McAllister, while Jefferies threw another new signing, Eric Joly, into the action in place of Boyd.

Invincibile could have made the scoreline look more respectable with two minutes to go, but Craig Gordon managed to block to deny Kilmarnock a late consolation goal.

Teams:

Hearts Gordon, Pressley, Webster, Neilson, Maybury, Kisnorbo, Stamp, Hartley (Stewart 80), Hamill (McAllister 76), Pereira (Wyness 85), Weir.

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, MacFarlane, Janczyk, Berra.

Booked: Neilson.

Goals: Weir 18, Pereira 57, Pressley 71 pen.

Kilmarnock Combe, Fowler, Hay, Greer, Dindeleux, Johnston (Murray 64), Locke, McDonald, Invincibile, Boyd (Joly 79), Wales (Dargo 55).

Subs Not Used: Smith, Dillon, Dodds, Canning.

Booked: Locke.

Att: 11,403

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com