VALDAS CAN'T WAIT TO OPEN THE WINDOW

KILMARNOCK 0

HEARTS 0

HEARTS coach Valdas Ivanauskas watched his side fire blanks against Killie then urged club owner Vladimir Romanov to open his cheque book in January.

The Tynecastle gaffer has vowed to make changes during the transfer window if Mad Vlad gives him the money to add quality to his squad.

Ivanauskas is convinced that if he gets the funds to bolster his side - with a striker top of his wish list - the Jambos can start challenging again for second spot in the SPL.

With Rangers and Aberdeen both dropping points yesterday, the Lithuanian feels the Gorgie outfit can emulate last season's success and earn another crack at the Champions League.

After the goalless draw at Rugby Park, Valdas said: "I'm very disappointed because we created so many opportunities. With the chances we had we definitely deserved to win.

"Scoring is a problem. Our top striker at the club only has six goals for the season and that is a negative for us.

"On the plus side we kept a clean sheet and Christophe Berra and Marius Zaliukas are forming a good partnership in defence.

"I know we need to make changes in January and myself and Mr Romanov are always looking for players.

"We have good strikers at the club but I still need to change things in the transfer window.

"The important thing though is to bring in quality not quantity.

"I know the areas we need to strengthen next month and we'll try to do that. If we can I think we will be strong enough to be fighting for second place."

Jambos frontman Roman Bednar was their biggest sinner yesterday after missing a sitter near the end.

The substitute may have squandered his big chance during the game but Bednar didn't miss the opportunity after the match to hit back at Hibs boss John Collins for branding Hearts a "pub team".

The Czech striker said: "I should have scored but my second touch was terrible and it was so disappointing.

"If I can get fit and play more games I'm sure I can hit top form again and play well for the club.

"We were unlucky not to win though. I heard Collins called us a pub team and I just laughed because he also said Dean Shiels shouldn't have got a red card last week and that's funny too.

"I don't know what game he was watching."

It was no surprise to find a Hearts side with six changes to the one that beat Hibs 3-2 in that pulsating derby last week.

Nerijus Barassa, Jose Goncalves, Julien Brellier, Neil McCann, Bednar and Jankauskas were left out of the starting line-up with Robbie Neilson, Takis Fyssas, Bruno Aguiar, Andrew Driver, Andrius Velicka and Michal Pospisil stepping in.

Hearts were looking to continue their mini-revival with a third straight SPL win against a Killie side minus Frazer Wright, Colin Nish and Paul Di Giacomo.

It was the visitors who threatened first in the ninth minute - and in bizarre fashion.

Paul Hartley's curling free-kick was intended for Pospisil in the six-yard box but when the forward and keeper Graeme Smith missed the ball it bounced off the inside of the far post before Gordon Greer cleared the danger.

It was dire fare in the first half with hopeful long balls being pinged from one end to the other.

One high ball almost put Hearts in front just before half-time thanks to a Smith error.

The young keeper misjudged a Fyssas cross and it found Saul Mikoliunas lurking at the back stick.

His cut-back looked to have given Velicka a tap-in but Simon Ford somehow got back in time to deflect the Lithuanian's shot over the bar.

Suddenly, Ivanauskas' men upped the tempo and should have been ahead at the break.

Hartley's cross picked out Velicka whose header was only parried by Smith and just as Driver was about to prod home Ford popped up again to save his side with another lastditch tackle.

Hearts continued in the same vein at the start of the second period.

Driver's dribble and cross caused havoc in the Killie backline and a poor Garry Hay header allowed Mikoliunas a volley that fizzed inches wide. Then left-back Fyssas played a one-two with Hartley on the edge of the box and drove in on goal.

The Greek went even closer than Miko as his drilled shot shaved Smith's post before it crept wide.

The Jambos piled on the pressure but just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net.

Killie almost hit them with a sucker punch when Allan Johnston played in Stevie Naismith.

After a tangle with Zaliukas the striker dinked the ball over Craig Gordon and on to the bar. As the rebound fell a yard out, it looked as though Naisy would nod home but the Scotland keeper got back to retrieve the ball in the nick of time.

Gordon almost carried it behind the goal-line but referee Dougie McDonald rightly waved play on.

The second half was far more like it with both teams now going all out for the three points.

Hartley had a dipping volley that looped just over then Berra's blast was saved by Smith.

Sub Bednar had a gilt-edged chance to grab the lead in 76 minutes but his downward header from six yards was brilliantly clawed away by Smith.

The young hitman could do no more with that effort but he should have buried Killie a minute later.

Sent clean through by Hartley's pass, he wildly scooped his shot miles over with only Smith to beat.

With just two minutes left Gary Wales had a carbon-copy chance to win it for Jim Jefferies' men.

Johnston's delightful chip deceived the Hearts defence and laid the three points on a plate for the Killie forward.

His left-foot shot had the power to beat Gordon but it zipped agonisingly wide of the upright.

Johnston and Naismith both had chances at the death but couldn't break down a resilient Jambos rearguard.

REFWATCH

DOUGIE McDONALD provided an edge to the game almost single-handedly, getting several calls wrong and infuriating both sets of supporters. Never looked in control and wasn't helped by his assistants. Poor show. RATING: 4/10

Supporting the 23rd Man

MATCH STATS

KILMARNOCK v HEARTS

SHOTS ON 3

SHOTS OFF 9

OFFSIDE 3

FOULS 20

CORNERS 4

BOOKINGS 1

SHOTS ON 6

SHOTS OFF 11

OFFSIDE 1

FOULS 11

CORNERS 9

BOOKINGS 1

Taken from the Sunday Mail