Hearts 0 / Kilmarnock 2 Alan Campbell at Tynecastle

TO say Hearts slipped to defeat would be literally true, but to blame a tricky surface for this latest setback would disguise the underlying problems at Tynecastle. Danny Invincibile and Gary Wales capitalised on mistakes to give Kilmarnock their first win at the ground for six years, but Hearts continue to be their own worst opponents.

After the fiasco of the selection for the Hibs match last Sunday, Valdas Ivanauskas and the selectors gave the capacity crowd what, on paper, was a much more pleasing line-up. That it was only so on paper soon became apparent as it was noticeable that neither of the restored strikers Edgaras Jankauskas or Roman Bednar were match sharp. In midfield Ibraham Tall, pushed forward to accommodate Robbie Neilson’s 200th game for the club, struggled to make any impression.

Although both Kilmarnock’s first half goals defied the strong start Hearts had made to the match, Jim Jeffries’ side grew in confidence and ultimately were well worth their win. Even when they enjoyed the bulk of the possession in the opening 35 minutes, Hearts’ use of the ball was unimaginative and, to be fair to the toiling Jankauskas and Bednar, hardly a threatening ball was sent into the Kilmarnock penalty area.

The defeat leaves Hearts eight points adrift of Celtic in the Premierleague, and unless there is a massive change of policy at Tynecastle that is a gap which, depressingly for those who want genuine competition, is set to grow and grow. The constant chopping and changing of the team lines is simply inviting trouble, even if on this occasion the fans’ bete noire, Saulius Mikoliunas, was suspended and not on the pitch to take the brunt of their ire.

Instead, and before the second half was even a couple of minutes old, the dissenters were chanting the name of Julien Brellier. The Frenchman, along with Andy Webster and Rudi Skacel, was an iconic figure in the side which won their first eight league games last season, but, unwilling to sign an extended contract, he has been frozen out of Hearts’ plans. How they have missed him.

On the very same weekend last year, George Burley was sacked on the morning of the win against Dunfermline which gave the Tynecastle side a six point lead in the Premierleague. Despite the later Tennent’s Scottish Cup win, things have really never been the same again. Ivanauskas, who replaced the hapless Graham Rix near the end of the season, was in charge at Hampden and also kept Rangers at bay in the race for second place, but has done little this campaign to inspire confidence that he has the tactical acumen to take his side on to a higher level.

On the contrary, Hearts went into this game flattered by their clear second place in the league. For the second time in six days they found themselves two goals down in the first half, but on this occasion there was no Zibi Malkowski to help mask their deficiencies. Having already lost to St Mirren at so-called Fortress Tynecastle, they had no second half response to Killie’s impertinence and other sides will now be encouraged by their home fallibility.

This was the first time Jeffries had savoured a win at his old place of employment since returning to Scotland from an unhappy sojourn at Bradford. Perhaps it was a reflection of how tamely Hearts had surrendered that he wasn’t dancing a jig; instead preferring to concentrate on how he had changed his side’s shape after the tide of the opening 25 minutes had raced against him.

A spate of rain, which started 30 minutes before kick off and continued well into the first half, was to have a big influence on the proceedings, and even in the opening exchanges there was evidence that some players were having difficulty keeping their footing. Killie, who hadn’t won at the ground since September 2000, looked pensive and it looked bad for the visitors when goalkeeper Graeme Smith made a hash of clearing from Bednar, but the danger was cleared.

So on top were Hearts that they forced three corners in the opening minutes, but although enjoying an almost total monopoly of the ball, the passing and movement was dull and uninspired. Neither Mirsad Beslija nor Deividas Cesnauskas were able to run at the full backs or send in telling crosses, and, as so often, it was a Paul Hartley set-piece which gave Kilmarnock most trouble.

Frazer Wright was booked for bringing Beslija down to terminate a rare run, and Hartley’s superb free kick from 22 yards was heading for Smith’s top left corner when the Kilmarnock goalkeeper pulled off an equally impressive save, one that Craig Gordon would have been taken gladly.

The Hearts and Scotland No 1, introduced to the crowd as arguably the best in Europe before the game, hadn’t had to even dirty his gloves before – totally against the run of play – he was picking the ball out of his net. Steven Naismith, who had been anonymous up until the 27th minute, cut inside from the left touchline and found his route to goal suddenly open when Steven Pressley lost his footing on the slippery surface. Naismith continued, inviting the challenge from Christophe Berra before passing to Invincibile, who scored from 16 yards.

The goal understandably stunned Hearts and they were still dazed when they lost another. Incredibly, the surface again played a part as Beslija slipped when in possession, allowing Wales a shot at goal. His effort seemed to be covered by Gordon, but took a deflection off Berra and Killie were two ahead.

If that was a gross distortion of the 35 minutes which had preceded, Pressley’s side were equally fortunate not to find themselves three behind when Naismith, set up by Invincibile, found himself unmarked in front of Gordon but hit the top of the bar with his header.

Buoyed up by their lead, Killie continued to improve in the second half as the crowd stepped up their demands for Brellier to be restored to the squad. The substitutions made by Ivanauskas were ineffective and it was a Killie substitute, Peter Leven, who had the best chance to score after being put in by David Fernandez. Yet again, Gordon came to Hearts’ rescue, but this time even he couldn’t win them a point.

Taken from the Sunday Herald