HEARTS BEATING FASTER AS EURO DREAM IS NEAR

HEARTS 2

KILMARNOCK 0

HEARTS will look back on this as one of their most important wins of the season if they do go on to secure second spot in the SPL and ensure Champions League football.

Having already survived a controversial refereeing decision when Eddie Smith failed to send off Christophe Berra for a last-man challenge, the Jambos were struggling to find the breakthrough against a dogged Kilmarnock side.

Then just as the home fans were beginning to wonder if it might be two vital home points dropped Paul Hartley stepped up 20 minutes from time to score a stunning freekick before Berra's late header sealed it.

And when news of Aberdeen's equaliser against Rangers filtered through to roars of delight from the Hearts fans you knew just how big a result this was - undoubtedly as crucial as any other this season given the events at Ibrox.

The win officially clinched UEFA Cup football for Hearts but the Gorgie men are aiming much higher and this was a massive step to joining Europe's elite in club football's most prestigious tournament next season.

Valdas Ivanauskas' men are now five points ahead of Gers with four games to go and Hearts can sense that they're getting closer to realising their Champions League dream.

Berra's header four minutes from time - his first goal for the club - put the game beyond doubt and he revealed afterwards he was shocked just to be playing.

He stepped in for the injured Steven Pressley but even when the skipper called off with a back problem Berra thought Andy Webster would play instead - but the Scotland international was rested.

And the youngster was lucky to be on the park to bag his goal after hauling down Danny Invincible as the last man on the stroke of half-time.

The delighted Scotland Under-21 star said: "I never expected to be playing today but Elvis had a sore back and at the pre-match meal the team was named and I was starting.

"I thought Andy Webster might have been playing but that wasn't to be the case so I took my chance and hopefully the manager and others watching were impressed.

"We're five points ahead but we have four difficult games to go so nothing is decided."

Yesterday was the first time neither Webster or Pressley have been in from the start for Hearts and Ivanauskas went with a central defensive pairing of Berra and Jose Goncalves.

Killie hadn't won at Tynecastle in almost six years and they blew a glorious chance to take the lead with just nine minutes gone when Steven Naismith sent his free header into the arms of Craig Gordon.

After surviving that, Hearts went straight up the park and should have edged ahead but Roman Bednar somehow blazed his close range shot over the bar after Alan Combe's great save from Edgaras Jankauskas' shot fell into his path.

The decision not to include Webster took on even greater significance just 24 minutes into the match when Goncalves limped off, slamming the dug-out in frustration as he headed up the tunnel.

His replacement was Ibrahim Tall. The Senegal star, who was recruited as a right-back, hadn't played a single game for the club since signing from Sochaux in the days of George Burley's managerial reign.

On the stroke of half-time, Tall committed himself to a long ball forward but lost out in the air to the towering Colin Nish whose headflick sent Invincible clear only for Berra to clip his heels and send him tumbling.

It looked to be a red card offence as Invincible had no reason to dive with only Craig Gordon to beat if he'd stayed on his feet but referee Eddie Smith waved play on.

There's no doubt it was a lucky escape for Jambos and a huge moment in the match but they let Killie off the hook just after the hour mark when Hartley failed to take a great chance.

Jankauskas set up the Scotland international which a brilliant 30-yard pass to match Hartley's run into the box but he blazed his volley well over when he should have hit the target.

But the stand-in skipper made amends in the 70th minute when he broke the deadlock with an excellent free-kick after Gordon Greer hauled the recalled Rudi Skacel down just outside the box.

And Berra sealed it when he reacted first to a ricochet inside the Killie penalty area to nod the ball home from close range.

refwatch

EDDIE SMITH had a nightmare and got it horribly wrong when he failed to punish Christophe Berra's tackle on Danny Invincible. Rating: 4/10.

Taken from the Sunday Mail