Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Hearts

MARTIN GREIG January 23 2006

Scorer: Invincibile (46)

The wisps of steam which rose from the pitch as the players trooped off at the end said it all – this was a contest which simmered with discontent from first to last, more a war of attrition than a free-flowing football match, and the type which can prove decisive in the destination of titles. It may do just that, though sadly for Hearts, it could be at their expense.

For all it was an evenly-contested affair, there only ever looked like being one winner and it wasn't the title-chasing side in second spot, who are now 10 points behind Celtic after the Parkhead side's 3-1 win over Motherwell yesterday.

That fact was etched all over the face of Graham Rix, the Hearts head coach, afterwards who stressed that his team must get used to their elevated status in Scottish football. Their dizzy ascent in the first half of the season was marked by a swashbuckling, cavalier style, but that carefree existence has been turned on its head.

Hearts are now the team to beat and guts are being busted all over Scotland in an attempt to do so. "I told the players afterwards they have to realise they're big scalps and they're up there to be shot at," reflected Rix. "They won't get an easy game anywhere this season."

The Hearts coach bemoaned his players' slow start to the game and their inability to cope with minor setbacks, but this defeat was about more than that. If this match is indicative of a wider trend then the Tynecastle side's title challenge may not so much slip away from them as be wrenched from their grasp. In truth, the home side set about the visitors from the off, exerting their physical domination at every opportunity.

A minute's silence for ex-Hearts chairman Wallace Mercer, who died this week, was the prècis to a raucous 90 minutes which held Rugby Park in thrall to the end. Six yellow cards told its own story about a game, which was decided by a Danny Invincibile strike just after the re-start.

Steve Conroy, the referee, faced a tall order keeping a lid on proceedings but was also responsible for some erratic decisions. His rabbit-caught-in-the-headlights demeanour soon developed into a headless chicken routine, as he hared around trying to extinguish a succession of flare-ups.

In one bizarre incident Conroy brandished a yellow card at half-time substitute Nerijus Barasa, and gesticulated at several areas of the field where the player had previously committed fouls that had contributed to his decision to book him. In fact, Barasa had only been on the park seven minutes and barely involved. The Lithuanian international could not significantly enhance his side's forward thrusts and they remain in need of new recruits. Deprived of the services of Rudi Skacel, Roman Bednar and Edgaras Jan-kauskas, they created few chances of note. Even Neil McCann's debut was truncated when he hobbled off with a knee injury in the 24th minute.

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, reflect the benefits of a settled side. Frazer Wright, a summer addition from Stranraer, is growing in stature with every game while Gary Wales and Colin Nish look like the main beneficiaries of Kris Boyd's transfer-window switch to Rangers, though both were responsible for glaring misses.

Wales shot wide from seven yards when it looked easier to score and Nish had a contender for miss of the season in the last minute when he failed to convert from three yards out. "The boys are calling him [Peter] Van Vossen," chuckled Wales.

In Steven Naismith, the Ayrshire side have unearthed a gem. The 19-year-old, playing a left midfield role, tormented Robbie Neilson and was not cowed by the close attentions of the Hearts full back. In fact, it was the attacker who was booked first, after 22 minutes, before his opponent picked up his yellow card 15 minutes later.

Taken from the Herald