JEFF'S LADS CAN'T LOCKE THE DOOR

KILMARNOCK......1 HEARTS ..............1

Gordon Waddell At Rugby Park

KILMARNOCK blew a dream chance to turn the heat up on Hearts in the four-way war to become Scotland's third force.

Jim Jefferies' side were one up and well on their way to clawing their way level on points with the Jambos after Peter Leven's first league goal before the break.

But an inspired double substitution by John Robertson - and a nightmare blunder by former Hearts hero Gary Locke - opened the door for Dennis Wyness to even things up with 21 minutes left and keep Killie at arm's length.

And in the end, the result was fair enough. The Jambos had dominated at the start and finish, Killie had swallowed them whole in the middle but neither side had what it took to finish the other off.

Killie came into the game with their eyes fixed on overhauling the Jambos and intent on using a sizzling sense of injustice after last week's defeat to Celtic as fuel.

And with Hearts missing talismanic skipper Steven Pressley through suspension, the Ayrshire men probably thought that would provide a chink in the armour.

Robertson could have dropped Kevin McKenna or Patrick Kisnorbo back to cover but instead went for teenager Christophe Berra to fill the gap rather than upset the shape that had kept him unbeaten in domestic clashes since his arrival from Inverness.

And it looked a wise move as they took a grip from the off.

Two weeks ago here, Killie came out of the blocks on fire against Hibs. Yesterday they just couldn't find the same spark.

The Jambos, Paul Hartley in particular, were running the show in the middle of the park with Killie's wide men not getting a sniff.

McKenna could have had Jambos in front in eight minutes when his effort, created with a sub-lime touch from Wyness, was turned past for a corner.

Wyness, with some rediscovered faith under his old Inverness boss Robbo, was also denied by Scotland call-up Alan Combe a few minutes later.

Killie were then dealt another blow when they had to reshape after Locke replaced crocked skipper Freddy Dindeleux.

But bit by bit Jeff's men found their way into the game.

And it took a block from Berra that Pressley would have been proud of to stop Craig Dargo's left-footed blast giving the home side the lead in 21 minutes.

And bang on the half-hour they stunned Hearts with the opener - and what a belter it was.

Gary McDonald was staring at a packed Hearts defence, 25 yards out, bodies everywhere, but somehow threaded a wonder-pass through to Leven on the run in the left channel.

The former Rangers kid still had the hard work to do but made it look easy as he bent a shot around Scotland No.1 Craig Gordon with the outside of his left boot into the far corner.

Talk about a transformation. Suddenly Killie found what they had been missing and took over.

Anchored by some sweet defending from the excellent Simon Ford, they upped the tempo and Gordon had to be sharp to deny first Locke and then Danny Invincibile before the break.

Killie started the second half as strongly as they finished the first.

First Locke tested Gordon with a long-range header, then Allan Johnston - pretty anonymous before the break - finally broke out of his shell on the left.

He cut inside just before the hour mark and unleashed a 30-yarder with his right foot that had Gordon at full stretch as it zipped past the post.

Robbo had seen enough. Off came the ineffective McKenna, who had been in Ford's pocket, and Joe Hammill, to be replaced by Mark De Vries and Ramon Pereira.

But still it was Killie who created more and McDonald will be kicking himself he didn't add a goal to his earlier assist in the 65th minute. He met Johnston's wicked inswinging free-kick from the left flank on the six-yard line but his contact was poor and the Hearts keeper fell on it.

And three minutes later another chance went begging when Johnston was fed in the box by Dargo but shot tamely.

How Hearts made them pay. Within a minute they were level, thanks to a bad blunder in midfield by Locke.

His header to Leven fell short and the Jambos broke four on three. De Vries found Pereira, who picked out Wyness at the back post for a sliding finish. Bang.

The perfect execution and the tide had turned.

Suddenly it was all Hearts and Killie boss Jeff was going tonto on the sidelines, screaming at his side to get out of the trench they had dug themselves into on their own 18-yard line.

The Jambos subbies had done the trick. De Vries terrifies even the best of defenders while Pereira was all over the park, adding a dynamic that had been missing.

And it was the Spaniard who came closest to winning the game, when he forced Combe into a superb stop low to his left.

Invincibile had another chance blocked at the death but ultimately the draw was fair on both teams.

REFWATCH

CALUM MURRAY would not have pleased the home punters with four bookings, nor no doubt Killie boss Jim Jefferies. But while he might have been a little fussy he wasn't far off the money with the big decisions in a competent afternoon's work. Rating: 6/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail