Kilmarnock 0-0 Hearts

Hearts ran out of steam as they saw their hopes of a top-six finish in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League extinguished by a goalless draw at Kilmarnock.

The Jambos needed a victory at Rugby Park to retain any hope of ending the season in the top half of the table.

However that coveted spot will now be battled out by Aberdeen and Falkirk at Pittodrie on Monday evening, and Hearts face a dispiriting end to the campaign.

Stephen Frail had transformed the fortunes of Hearts since the turn of the year after they had slipped as low as second bottom at one stage, but gaining maxmium points from this clash proved a step too far for the caretaker boss.

Kilmarnock youngster Iain Flannigan had been earning rave reviews for his recent performances but he was dropped to the bench in favour of the more experienced Gary Locke as Jim Jefferies made one change from the goalless draw against Falkirk.

Hearts made three changes from the side who defeated Dundee United. Fernando Screpis, Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Ibrahim Tall all started, with Michael Stewart named on the bench and Marius Zaliukas and Eggert Jonsson absent from the squad.

Both teams started brightly, with the first chance falling to Kilmarnock.

Frazer Wright, who was sent off right at the end of the game, nodded narrowly wide from close range following David Fernandez's corner.

Hearts then threatened when Christian Nade's lay-off was met by Saulius Mikoliunas and his effort fizzed across the goalmouth and past the post.

But it was Kilmarnock who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and Anthony Basso - still deputising for Steve Banks in the Jambos goal - did well to smother a smart shot from James Fowler.

Basso then pulled off a great save when Fernandez's cross found Danny Invincibile who was denied by the goalkeeper from a couple of yards out.

The home side continued to crank up the pressure and David Lilley rose above everyone else in a packed goalmouth to meet a corner from Fernandez, only to see his header parried by Basso.

Tim Clancy was then denied the opener by the woodwork when his close-range volley cracked off the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

Tempers began to flare and Tall was handed the first booking of the game for a foul on Fernandez with just over half an hour gone. He was joined in Craig Thomson's book by Mikoliunas and Wright before the end of the first half.

Fernandez recovered from the challenge to test Basso with a point-blank header, but the Hearts goalkeeper was in fine form yet again. The ball broke to Craig Bryson who rifled just over the crossbar to the dismay of the home crowd.

Hearts looked more dangerous after the restart and Christophe Berra was not too far away when he threw himself in front of Laryea Kingston's free-kick only to see his header scrape the post.

Ivaskevicius was then withdrawn after an hour for Gary Glen, allowing the teenage striker to make his first appearance of the season, but he did little to trouble Alan Combe in the Killie goal with his first attempt.

Combe was then called into action to pull off a decent save to prevent Nade claiming the opener, before a timely intervention from Wright denied Ruben Palazuelos with the follow-up shot.

Kingston made way for Stewart, before Kilmarnock swapped Locke for Flannigan and Fernandez for Gary Wales.

With time running out, Mehdi Taouil could have snatched the winner with a decent effort but Basso came to the rescue of Hearts again with an impressive one-handed save.

Basso may have been the star man for Hearts but a lack of cutting edge at the other end of the pitch means the Jambos will finish in the bottom half of the SPL for the first time since the league split was introduced for the 2000/01 campaign.

The game also ended disappointingly for Killie when Wright picked up a second yellow for a foul on Nade in injury-time.

Teams:

Kilmarnock Combe, Clancy, Hay, Lilley, Frazer Wright, Bryson, Locke (Flannigan 73), Fowler, Invincibile, Fernandez (Wales 73), Taouil (Hamill 88).

Subs Not Used: Harpur, Gibson, Dalglish, O'Leary.

Sent Off: Frazer Wright (90).

Booked: Frazer Wright, Hay, Clancy.

Hearts Basso, Neilson, Goncalves, Palazuelos, Berra, Tall, Mikoliunas, Kingston (Stewart 65), Ivaskevicius (Glen 58), Screpis (Elliot 86), Nade.

Subs Not Used: Banks, Wallace, Husband, McGowan.

Booked: Tall, Mikoliunas, Berra.

Att: 5,901

Ref: C Thomson (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com