Hearts 3 - 0 Kilmarnock

Jim Jefferies, their very own Don Corleone, will have to make his players an offer they can't refuse to help them retain an interest in the tournament. His look at the end of Saturday's 3-0 defeat suggested he was going to contact the Cosa Nostra to ensure that some of his under-performing players would sleep with the fishes.

Both sides had been evenly matched in the Scottish Cup match at Tynecastle which ended 2-2 a week earlier.

However, Kilmarnock were a shadow of that team and Hearts were better in every department.

Jefferies hinted that his side had one eye on the replay which is the biggest game of their season. His anger at the end of the match said it all.

"The performance wasn't good enough," said the Kilmarnock coach. "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."

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

With Vladimir Romanov, the multi-millionaire who is now the club's biggest single shareholder in the stand and jumping up and down like a true fan every time Hearts attacked, it was good to see the good times returning to Tynecastle.

Robertson was pleasantly surprised at the way his side cut their way through Kilmarnock. "On another day we could have scored about five or six goals but the important thing today was getting the three points," he said.

The win for Hearts takes them just two points behind Edinburgh rivals Hibs, who are currently in third place.

Two key factors have contributed to the confidence which surrounds Hearts at present. The first involves Paul Hartley, whose form has remained high despite the club dismissing a bid by Celtic to take him to Parkhead.

Lesser players may have let their form and commitment dip but Hartley hasn't allowed it to affect him. He was running the show against Kilmarnock and put in a sterling amount of work in the middle of the park.

The other fact is the competition for places up front, which keeps the Hearts strikers on their toes. Miller, on loan from Bristol City, is looking sharp and Dennis Wyness is at least a decent player under Robertson compared to the fringe figure he was under Craig Levein.

Mark Burchill has been brought in to the end of the season, Mikoliunas is dazzling on the wing and Halmar Thoraninsson, the Icelandic striker, is also fighting for a starting place.

Taken from the Herald