Hearts' last-gasp salvage operation finally peters out

By STEPHEN HALLIDAY
AT RUGBY PARK
Kilmarnock 1 Naismith (82 pen)
Hearts 0

HEARTS' bid to salvage a UEFA Cup place from a season of unrest and lost opportunities ended in ultimately tame failure yesterday. Long before Steven Naismith scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot, events some 170 miles away in Aberdeen had ensured the Tynecastle club would not be playing European football next season.

In any event, Hearts were unable to fulfil their half of an equation which required them to better Aberdeen's result against Rangers and, instead, finished the day four points adrift of their rivals in the race for third place in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

It is certainly no hard luck story for Hearts who have no-one to blame but themselves for failing to build upon the promise of last season's success in lifting the Tennent's Scottish Cup and taking second place in the SPL. Owner Vladimir Romanov, who watched yesterday's match on television at his home in Lithuania, must bear much of the responsibility for the lack of stability which undermined his team's efforts on the pitch.

While the battle for the UEFA Cup place went down to the last match, the damage was done much earlier in the campaign for Hearts, most notably during the winless period under the command of football adviser Eduard Malofeev. Credit is due to Anatoly Korobochka and Stephen Frail for the manner in which they revitalised the team after Malofeev's departure, but they were simply left with too much to do.

With Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill in attendance yesterday, speculation over interest in Hearts goalkeeper and captain Craig Gordon is certain to intensify and another intriguing summer is in store at Tynecastle as Romanov decides who stays and who goes both on the pitch and in the technical area.

Jim Jefferies, the former Hearts manager, continues to find his name enmeshed in the rumour mill over who will be the club's boss next season and he set the seal on another outstanding year's work in charge of Kilmarnock, who won their final three games against Hibs, Rangers and Hearts to secure fifth place in the table.

Rugby Park, of course, is no stranger to tension on the final day of a season. If it was hardly on the same scale as the astounding climax to the 2002-03 SPL campaign, when Celtic's 4-0 win in Ayrshire was not enough to prevent Rangers winning the title with their simultaneous six-goal Ibrox rout of Dunfermline, there was nonetheless a tangible sense of anticipation inside the ground at kick-off.

Many among the large Hearts support were tuned into events from Pittodrie, but they knew the result there would be of no consequence to them unless their own team could deliver the goods. They were given some early encouragement by Roman Bednar whose pace appeared capable of troubling the Kilmarnock defence.

The Czech striker, partnering his compatriot Michal Pospisil in attack, narrowly failed to turn in a low cross from Andrew Driver in the opening moments and was then denied on two occasions by tremendous penalty-area tackles, by Ryan O'Leary and then Gordon Greer, after he had sprinted clear.

The urgency displayed by the Hearts players gradually drained away, however, in tandem with the deflation felt by their fans as news of Aberdeen's two first-half goals filtered through. Their task might have seemed even more hopeless when they trooped towards the dressing room if captain Gordon had not stretched out his right hand to superbly save a low shot from Kilmarnock striker Aime Koudou.

The home team were now every bit as threatening as their visitors, Gordon relieved to see a ferocious 25-yard shot from Momo Sylla narrowly clear his crossbar. The best chance of the first half, though, did fall to Hearts when the feckless Saulius Mikoliunas horribly miscued a shot from around 12 yards with only Alan Combe to beat.

Bednar saw another effort subdued by the diligent Kilmarnock defence at the start of the second half, this time substitute Garry Hay making the crucial block, but there was by now a noticeable lack of conviction about Hearts as they realised the situation had drifted out of their control.

Kilmarnock, though, were keen to end their own season on a high note and Frazer Wright should have done better than steer a free header from a Gary Locke corner straight at Gordon.

The goalkeeper was finally beaten in contentious circumstances eight minutes from time. Gordon rushed from his line as Naismith raced into the penalty area after a Sylla pass had been deflected into his path off Ibrahim Tall. The forward pushed the ball beyond Gordon and crashed to the turf under the keeper's challenge.

The Scotland internationalist protested furiously that Naismith had mad
e the most of the incident, earning himself a caution for dissent in the process, but referee Willie Collum had pointed to the spot instantly.

After order was restored, Naismith stepped forward to beat Gordon low to his right and notch up his 19th goal of another impressive season.

Gordon carried on his protests at the final whistle, berating the fourth official and linesman, before eventually joining the rest of his team-mates in saluting their supporters who had remained en masse despite their disappointment.

Man of the match

Ryan O'Leary (Kilmarnock)

Outstanding in the defeat of Rangers at Ibrox seven days earlier, the young central defender was hugely impressive again yesterday, timing his tackles well and contributing towards another clean sheet in defence. He can surely look forward to becoming a permanent fixture in the Kilmarnock first team next season.