JEFFERIES PLEDGES CUP TURNAROUND

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies has fired out a warning to Hearts that his zeros will be heroes when they meet again in the Tennent's Scottish Cup.

The Ayrshire side managed to hold Hearts to a draw last week to set up Wednesday night's fourth-round replay and expectations were high when the two sides met in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

Instead, Kilmarnock slumped to a 3-0 defeat in a game which Hearts dominated from start to finish.

Saulius Mikoliunas grabbed his first goal for the club and an own goal from James Fowler and a superb strike from Lee Miller secured the win for Hearts.

Jefferies admits he is furious with his players for the lacklustre display but he insists it will be a much-improved team who take on the Jambos for the third game on the trot.

He said: "The performance wasn't good enough. We came here last week and competed but we didn't do that today.

"The first goal we gave away was just a joke. We weren't alert enough to stop the free-kick and when it was played through the two central defenders were sleeping.

"From then on we never got into our stride, we were second best and didn't win the 50-50s.

"The only good thing is that it will be a different Kilmarnock on Wednesday - I can promise Hearts that."

Jefferies was faced with a further headache ahead of the cup game after it emerged that Liam Fontaine is now rated doubtful.

The Fulham defender suffered a facial injury and was replaced by Freddie Dindeleux early in the game.

Dindeleux is back in action following a spell on the sidelines through injury and Jefferies insists he could only feel sorry for the defender being thrown into such a poor game for the Rugby Park side.

He said: "Liam had double vision and took a bad knock to his nose and his eye was virtually closed.

"There is no way he could have played on and he might be doubtful for Wednesday now.

"Freddie is just back from three weeks out injured and it's never easy to come into a game like that when your team-mates are not showing enough desire."

Hearts head coach John Robertson insists the league win does not guarantee another victory in midweek - and agreed that Kilmarnock will be a tougher prospect.

He said: "On another day we could have scored about five or six goals but the important thing today was getting the three points.

"But I don't think this result will have any bearing on the cup game.

"I'm sure Jim is disappointed with his players and that wasn't the normal Kilmarnock today.

"They can play much better than that and it will be a different Kilmarnock we see next week."

Taken from sportinglife.com