Kilmarnock 1 Hearts 1

Hearts striker Dennis Wyness netted the second-half equaliser which ensured his side kept Kilmarnock at arm's length in the battle for third place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

Killie would have gone level with their opponents on 22 points with a victory, which had looked more than possible after Peter Leven had fired them ahead just after the half-hour mark.

But it was the Jambos who finished the game the stronger side, with the introduction of Ramon Pereira giving them an extra dimension.

The visitors had started strongly however, with Kevin McKenna heading an early chance wide and then forcing Killie goalkeeper Alan Combe into a save at his near post.

Combe, who had been called into Tommy Burns' first and possibly only Scotland squad earlier in the week, was required again when Wyness fired in a low shot on the turn in the 14th minute.

Killie were forced into a change two minutes later when Freddie Dindeleux, who had been playing at left-back, hobbled off to be replaced by Gary Locke.

Locke went into central midfield so Leven was pushed back and to the left, but that did not stop him getting forward to open the scoring in the 31st minute.

The former Rangers man was involved in the initial build-up as Killie turned their best passing movement of the half into a precious goal.

Midfielder Gary McDonald was the man who played the decisive pass inside to allow Leven to stroke the ball across Craig Gordon with the outside of his left boot.

Hearts were back under pressure when Robbie Neilson surrendered possession in his own half to allow Locke to play a one-two with Colin Nish.

The substitute found himself in a similar position to the one Leven made the most of, but, this time, Gordon made the save.

Gordon Greer was booked for a 40th-minute foul before Gordon denied Danny Invincibile with another smart stop.

Nish was fortunate to escape a booking after the restart after catching Alan Maybury with a very late challenge, and Patrick Kisnorbo headed just wide from the resulting free-kick.

Leven played Craig Dargo through with a ball over the top but Christophe Berra was quickly able to catch and rob the striker.

Nish quickly won possession back and it needed the intervention of Andy Webster to mop up and relieve the pressure.

Allan Johnston fired just wide from fully 30 yards before Hearts head coach John Robertson decided on a double change a minute before the hour mark.

On came Mark de Vries and Pereira, with McKenna and Joe Hamill making way.

McDonald should have put his side 2-0 up in the 65th minute when he slid in beyond the Hearts backline to meet a Johnston free-kick from the left only to make too slight a connection to beat Gordon.

Johnston was equally culpable three minutes later by allowing Gordon to palm away too obvious an attempt to stroke the ball past him after Nish had set up the chance by out-muscling Webster on the right.

Wyness made them both pay by slotting home a stylish equaliser after being picked out at the back post in the 69th minute by Pereira's low drive across the box.

Nish and Dargo were booked in quick succession, with the latter then getting hooked in favour of Gary Wales.

Johnston was replaced by James Fowler as Killie attempted to hold on to what they had got after Pereira had forced a fine parry out of Combe following a jink inside from the left.

The rebound fell invitingly for Neilson, but he blazed over and there was another narrow escape for the home side when Webster headed wide unchallenged from a corner.

Combe had to make another save to keep out a Wyness header from a free-kick conceded by Fowler, who was booked.

Teams:

Kilmarnock: Combe, Greer, Dindeleux (Locke 16), Ford, Lilley, McDonald, Invincibile, Leven, Johnston (Fowler 76), Nish, Dargo (Wales 72).

Subs Not Used: Smith, Hay, Murray, Naismith.

Booked: Greer, Nish, Dargo, Fowler.

Goals: Leven 31.

Hearts: Gordon, Maybury, Neilson, Berra, Webster, Kisnorbo, Hartley, McAllister, Hamill (Pereira 59), Wyness, McKenna (de Vries 58).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, MacFarlane, Weir, Janczyk, Stewart.

Goals: Wyness 69.

Att: 6,129

Taken from sportinglife.com