STILL THE ED BOYS

HEARTS maintained their grip at the top of the SPL and proved they won't be easily budged - with or without George Burley.

The Gorgie boss may have left the club on Friday night but the hunger for success remains in the Tynecastle squad.

Lithuanian hitman Edgaras Jankauskas scored only his second goal for the Jambos with a first-half strike to keep them three points clear of Celtic ahead of this weekend's derby with Hibs.

This was not a classic for another sell-out crowd at Tynecastle to feast their eyes upon but it was a performance of brawn and bottle against one of the better sides in the league.

The confidence around Riccarton this week has undoubtedly been battered, but Hearts players showed they are men of mettle.

Majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov was given a subdued greeting from the fans when he took his seat in the directors' box justbefore the game started. Theuncertaintysurroundingthe managerless Tynecastleclub hasn't helped the atmosphere with fans desperatetoseewhowillbethenew boss An interesting spectator was Scotland gaffer Walter Smith who was running his eye over the clutch of Hearts stars who will feature in his squad for next month's friendly against the United States next month at Hampden.

The Jambos and caretaker boss John McGlynn merited their win, not just because of the off-the-field controversy that has engulfed the club, but because it came from a side missing stalwarts Steven Pressley, who was suspended, and Paul Hartley, who is nursing a hamstring strain.

Hartley was also joined on the injured list by referee Stuart Dougal, who took unwell in the first half and was replaced at the interval by fourth official Stevie O'Reilly.

Necks were craned before the match as Hearts fans looked up tothe directors' box hoping to catch a glimpse of a potential new boss.

The appearance of Crystal Palace manager Ian Dowie no doubt set tongues wagging in The Diggers and Tynecastle Arms after the match but he was following the path set at the weekend by Premiership bosses Graeme Souness and Mick McCarthy.

Hearts are now a big noise in British football and managers from England are queueing up to see for themselves what it is all about.

It's a credit to the revival of the club this season that Dowie could have been in town to run the rule over almost every player in the first team - and Pressley and Hartley were also sitting near him in the posh seats.

Elvis was suspended after his red card against Dunfermline, while Scotland pal Hartley failed to shrug off a back injury that was causing him hamstring problems.

Hearts players did not lift their jerseys this time to offer conclusive proof, but you can bet Rudi Skacel wasn't the only first-team star wearing a vest on a night that would have seen brass monkeys demanding welders.

Understandably there was a fairly flat atmosphere around the place pre-game as fans absorbed all the off-the-field intrigue of the previous week.

Romanov sat beside chairman George Foulkes in the main stand but for once Verdi's aria from Rigaletto, sung lustily throughout the campaign in support of the Lithuanian tycoon, was muted.

But trust the good old Scottish referees to get the atmosphere going and Dougal had the old ground crackling within 10 minutes as he denied the SPL leaders a blatant penalty.

Jamie McAllister, recalled to the left-hand side of the park with Skacel moved inside, sent in a low free-kick from 20 yards and keeper Graeme Smith did brilliantly to palm low to his right.

Andy Webster moved in for the kill but was sent sprawling in the six-yard box by Rhian Dodds, but Dougal waved play on.

Hearts had not had it their own way until that point and Steven Naismith had posted a declaration of his intent within the first 60 seconds when he found space on the right.

But Scotland keeper Craig Gordon was alert enough to a touch his fierce drive into the side net But Hearts responded immediately and Deividas Cesnauskas, in for Samuel Camazolla, linked well with Skacel to set up McAllister but his shot was wonderfully saved low to his left by Smith.

Czech frontman Michal Pospisil also came close with a header from a free-kick from countryman Skacel as the Jambos looked to be putting all their off-field turmoil behind them.

Suddenly Tynecastle was alive again and Jambo fans, who had sold out all their seats, were on their feet 10 minutes before half-time as they took the lead.

Greek full-back Takis Fyssas sent a pass down the left for Skacel who sent over a low, swooping cross that fell perfectly into the path of Edgaras Jankauskas who slipped his first time shot under Smith.

Jambos fans were ecstatic but they were almost shocked within 60 seconds when Kris Boyd let fly with a shot from the edge of the box Gordon was happy to see whistle inches past his post.

Whistler Dougal took ill during the first half and was replaced for the second period by fourth official O'Reilly, with Grade One referee Willie Collum stepping out from the crowd, where he was a spectator, to stand between the dugouts.

The second half continued in a similar vein to the first, with Hearts controlling most of the play, but Killie still looking nippy on the break.

Jankauskas should have put the game out of sight seven minutes into the second half when he rose unchallenged to meet a McAllister cross but his header from eight yards was wayward when he should really have hit the target.

The Lithuanian hitman found space on the edge of the box shortly afterwards after Pospisil showed twinkle-toed skill with the ball at feet to send him racing clear.

But his effort was deflected wide for a corner that came to nothing as the Jambos support yelped in frustration at their failure to find the crucial second.

They were almost howling in anguish after 65 minutes when a cross into the Hearts defence was met by Australian striker Danny Invincibile, who fired a volley goalward from six yards.

Webster threw himself at the ball, which appeared to cannon off his arm as Killie players screamed at stand-in ref O'Reilly for a penalty award that never came.

Hearts made their first substitution two minutes later when Camazzola replaced Cesnauskis, who had threatened from wide but never delivered.

Full-back Robbie Neilson could not be accused of that crime on 72 minutes when he sent in a teasing cross from the right that fell to the feet of Pospisil.

The former Sparta Prague frontman held off the challenge of Gordon Greer but Smith had rushed from goal to block his effort from 10 yards Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies decided to freshen his attack and replaced midfielder Dodds with Gary Wales in attack as Naismith was dropped deeper into the middle of the park.

But again it was Hearts who came closest to adding to their lead when Webster popped up at the edge of the six-yard box to volley a Skacel corner over the top.

Killie threw on Stephen Murray for Boyd in the last 10 minutes but the equaliser still appeared as elusive as ever.

Man of the match Skacel may have had words with Romanov for his show of support for Burley at the weekend but he shrugged off the affects of words with the boss.

He was hungry, determined and the Jambos' most creative force and almost snatched the goal his all-round play deserved in the closing minutes but narrowly failed to connect with a back-post volley and Smith grabbed the ball easily.

Jankauskas left the field to a standing ovation five minutes from the end when he was replaced by teenage striker Calum Elliot

MAN OF THE MATCH Rudi Skacel (Hearts) HEARTS - Gordon 7, Neilson 6, Fyssas 6, Webster 6, Skacel 8 (Wallace 2), Jankauskas 7, McAllister 6, Cesnauskas 6 (Camazzola 3), Berra 7, Pospisil 6, Brellier 6. Subs not used: Banks, Simmons, Mikoliunas,Tall.

KILMARNOCK - Smith 7, Fowler 6, Hay 6, Greer 6, McDonald 7, Boyd 6 (Murray 2), Invincibile 6, Johnston 6, Naismith 7, Dodds 6 (Wales 3), Wright 6. Subs not used: Bell, Di Giacomo, Campbell, Adams,Flannigan.

Referee - S Dougal (S O'Reilly

Taken from the Daily Record