Kings of the castle

ANDREW SMITH
AT RUGBY PARK

KILMARNOCK 2 Naismith 12; Greer 74
HEARTS 4 Skacel 13; Bednar 46; Mikoliunas 61; Hartley 90 pen

THE faces of Hearts supporters, never mind their chosen attire, would have been maroon over recent comments by Hibernian's Derek Riordan to the effect that he did not see as a threat bitter rivals he stated were "not as strong as two years ago". Maybe the striker should have reserved judgment until after next Sunday's derby. For the visiting fans' thunderous chants about bringing on Hibs told exactly what sort of first impression was made by new manager George Burley and his team. One that left the Hearts faithful high as kites after an opening day victory over a stubborn Kilmarnock that sent the Tynecastle club top of the Premierleague.

Sufficiently fragile defensively to find themselves behind early on to a Steven Naismith goal, in hitting back immediately thanks to interventions by Edgaras Janauskas and Roman Bednar that paved the way for Rudolf Skacel to strike, the tone for the afternoon was set. On their debuts, these three loan arrivals did most of the damage to the Rugby Park cause, and looked every inch the real deal where the Vladimir Romanov promise of bringing European pedigree performers to Gorgie is concerned. Possessing power and poise, they bullied and toyed with the Ayrshire defence; though an exquisite strike from Saulius Mikoliunas and a dubious penalty were required for Hearts to build on a 2-1 lead earned by Bednar just after the break.

Burley declared his new trio "outstanding", even though bustling frontmen Janauskas and Bednar were "only around 80% fit". Pledging that he will bring in three more players before the transfer deadline, the Hearts manager could only but be satisfied with those at his service yesterday.

"Kilmarnock put us under pressure in the first half and we showed a lot of character," he said. "I was impressed with the work ethic of the squad and they seem to enjoy playing the game." Talking of them playing with a smile on their faces, those watching them sported rictus grins and returned to the capital making bold predictions for a team they believe can usurp an imploding Celtic.

"There is a lot of optimism around the club," Burley said, "but finishing third would be a good season."

The kind of over-exuberance that really ought to feature in the first game of any league campaign manifested itself in some tasty challenges and early bookings. This all added to the richness of an encounter with a palpable sense of occasion. Not least because of the visiting battalions making an almighty din in roaring their approval of Burley.

It merely enhanced a confrontation that Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies harshly seemed to adjudge little more than a physical battle. It was, though, one in which the skirmishing gave way to full blown assaults with two goals inside seconds. There were 12 minutes on the clock when Hearts' backline inexplicably let a Peter Leven throw-in dropped into their penalty area where Naismith was lurking. Seizing his opportunity, the teenager chested the ball down on the turn before angling it wide of Craig Gordon from close range. Only his third senior goal, two of these have come against Hearts.

The response from Burley's side was instantaneous. In the period it would normally take a goal-losing side to centre the ball, Czech striker Skacel had fired a left-foot volley high past Alan Combe. It was an equaliser in which the men with which Romanov hopes to borrow, as opposed to buy, success played their parts: a Jankauskas ball from left leading to a stinging effort from Bednar that the Kilmarnock goalkeeper blocked before the on-loan Marseille attacker struck.

The trio's introduction to Scottish football was the sort of energy-sapping affair into which they can expect to be regularly pitched throughout their time in Scotland. Not only did they cope, though, they thrived. Mind you, the front pairing of Jankauskas and Bednar are hulking enough to believe they could have played for sports club Kaunas's basketball team as well as their football side.

Undoubtedly, Lithuanian connections are acquiring Hearts some genuine talents, at least on a temporary basis. There seemed a permanence about this band putting yesterday's game beyond the reach of Jefferies side as soon as they manufactured a second for Hearts after the interval. For this, Kilmarnock were opened up after Skacel whipped in a cross from the right that Jankausas knocked back across the face of the goal for a stooping Bednar to nod over the line. Then, as if not to feel left out amid the show-stealing by loan acquisitions, Mikoliunas, Hearts' fourth such player in yesterday's starting line-up, appeared to deliver the coup de grace when, from fully 22 yards out, he curled a screamer into the top corner on the hour.

But Kilmarnock do not lack spirit and after Greer powered a header into the top corner from a Gary Locke free-kick, a comeback could not be discounted. And that was the way it stood until Jankauskas, perhaps showing he learned much under Jose Mourinho at Porto, dropped like a stone when Locke tickled a foot towards him as he drove into the box in the final seconds. Paul Hartley thumped the penalty past Combe to end a day suggesting Hearts might be able to batter on Scottish football's glass ceiling.

Taken from the Scotsman