Stevie In Rant Over Top 6 Flop

RAGING Stevie Frail ripped into his Hearts duds for treating the last chance to salvage pride from their miserable season like a meaningless testimonial.

Jambos' sheer impotence shocked the stand-in boss who admits he watched Killie run riot in the first half and wondered which team was playing for a top-six place.

Kilmarnock failed to make their dominance count but a limp goalless draw can't spare Hearts the embarrassment of a first bottom-half finish in nine years.

It's now a straight fight between Aberdeen and Falkirk tomorrow for the final spot among the SPL elite.

And when Frail emerged from a dressing-room showdown an hour after full-time he slammed his flops.

He said: "To end our top-six bid like that is really poor.

"They were well aware of what was at stake but looked as though they were treating it like a testimonial.

"We were lucky to get a point and it hurts me to say Kilmarnock looked hungrier - at times you would have thought it was them going for the top six.

"Financially it's a big thing but players should want to play in five big games towards the end of the season." As early as the seventh minute Killie gave the visitors a scare when Danny Invincibile did well to hold off Christophe Berra then turn past the skipper before crossing.

Craig Bryson laid the ball on a plate for James Fowler rushing in to test Anthony Basso with a low shot.

Before long the keeper was called to Hearts' rescue again as David Fernandez robbed Berra on the edge of his box and found Invincibile drifting in at the back post.

Again Basso made the save, this time with his feet, and another good chance had gone.

That summed up a frustrating first half for the home side who kept on coming but couldn't make their dominance count.

A good block by Ibrahim Tall denied Bryson before a post thwarted Tim Clancy when Fernandez's cross broke to him.

Tall earned a booking in 32 minutes for his crunching late challenge on Fernandez then another glaring miss saw Bryson blast over from six yards after Clancy's surprise shot rebounded to his feet.

Saulius Mikoliunas sparked two moments of controversy just before the break and had the home support howling for a red card after launching into a 50-50 tackle on David Lilley with his studs showing.

The Lithuanian escaped with a yellow, followed immediately by Frazer Wright for protesting as his team-mate lay writhing in pain on the deck.

Then on the stroke of half time Killie were denied a strong penalty claim when Tall barged Bryson as the midfielder was preparing to shoot.

It was a bad mistake by the ref and another huge let-off for Hearts who came within a foot of grabbing an undeserved lead 10 minutes after the restart as Berra's header flashed across goal. That didn't disguise Jambos' shortcomings up front so Frail subbed the anonymous Kestutis Ivaskevicius for hitkid GaryGlen, followed by Michael Stewart for Laryea Kingston in 65 minutes.

The changes brought improvement as Stewart kicked off a counter-attack by releasing Christian Nade down the left.

His shot was blocked by Alan Combe but with Ruben Palazuelos rushing on to the rebound only a heroic block by Wright saved the home side.

Killie boss Jefferies threw on Gary Wales and Iain Flannigan for Fernandez and Gary Locke in the last 20 minutes as they prepared for Hearts' inevitable desperate late onslaught.

But they were left a man down late in the dying stages when Wright earned a second yellow for taking out Nade as the hitman raced towards goal.

From the free-kick Nade couldn't get a proper connection on his back-post header and Hearts' hopes were over.

REF WATCH

CRAIG THOMSON should have given Killie a penalty but correctly sent Wright off at the end. Rating: 5/10.

MATCH FACTS

7 SHOTS ON 3

4 SHOTS OFF 4

3 OFFSIDE 2

13 FOULS 14

9 CORNERS 6

3 BOOKINGS 3

Taken from the Sunday Mail