Hearts 0 Kilmarnock 2

Kilmarnock defender Grant Murray sent Hearts crashing towards successive defeats in the bottom six with a second-half headed goal at Tynecastle.

The former Hearts player rose highest in a congested box to bullet David Fernandez's corner beyond Steve Banks before substitute Paul Di Giacomo added a second with a volley from close range.

The match seemed destined to end in stalemate with both sides lacking penetration in the final third before Kilmarnock finally broke the deadlock.

Laryea Kingston and Fernando Screpis went close for the hosts in the first half as Hearts signed off in their final home game of the campaign with a defeat.

Visitors Kilmarnock registered the first attempt on goal after four minutes when Jamie Hamill's free-kick was not properly dealt with by the Hearts rearguard.

David Lilley skipped past Screpis in the box but his left-footed shot missed the target.

Screpis made a composed start on his full debut and it was a slick passing move engineered by the Argentinian that gave Deividas Cesnauskis space outside the box but his left-footed shot was well blocked by the Kilmarnock defence.

There was little between the sides during the early exchanges as both teams jostled for possession in the middle of the park without mustering any clear-cut openings.

Simon Ford came to the Rugby Park side's rescue in the 19th minute when he slid in to intercept Eggert Jonsson as he raced in on goal from Gary Glen's flick on.

As thunder and lightning rumbled around Tynecastle, there remained little spark on the pitch in a meaningless encounter.

Hearts midfielder Kingston tried to alter proceedings when he found space inside the box but his dipping shot from an acute angle cleared the far post.

Kilmarnock were looking to the pace of Paul Dalglish on the right wing to cause problems on the counter-attack, and the former Hibernian player produced several dangerous crosses during the first 45 minutes but there were no takers in the box.

Screpis was then sent through on goal in the 40th minute by Jonsson but his toe-poked effort was easily saved by Kilmarnock goalkeeper Alan Combe.

As the second half started, the Hearts supporters showed their appreciation to former boss George Burley after the stadium announcer revealed the Scotland manager was in the directors box.

Burley, who guided the club to the SPL summit at the start of the 2005/06 campaign before his unceremonious departure, would not have been impressed by the manner in which Kilmarnock ripped open the Hearts defence in the 50th minute.

Fernandez completely miss-hit Dalglish's cross and Mehdi Taouil picked up the rebound, but his shot just missed the target.

At the other end, Screpis dispossessed Hamill and found Kingston whose stinging effort from 25 yards sailed just over the bar.

Kilmarnock defender Ford's reading of the game at Tynecastle was textbook and he was well positioned to get a clearing header on substitute Kestutis Ivaskevicius' cross with Screpis poised at the back post.

In the same move, the ball came back to Screpis inside the box but his snap-shot was too high.

Kilmarnock keeper Combe was then forced into a decent save from team-mate Grant Murray, getting down well to a misdirected header from the defender.

At the other end, Murray was clinical as he bulleted home Fernandez's corner from close range in the 75th minute.

Kilmarnock substitute Di Giacomo came close to adding a second moments later when he unleashed a venomous shot from the edge of the box after being teed up by Dalglish, but his effort just missed the target.

The visitors put the game beyond doubt eight minutes from time when the unmarked Di Giacomo volleyed home Dalglish's cross from close range.

Teams:

Hearts Banks, Thomson, Karipidis, Zaliukas, Wallace, Screpis, Stewart (Mole 64), Jonsson (Ivaskevicius 57), Cesnauskis, Kingston, Glen.

Subs Not Used: Ridgers, Palazuelos, Goncalves, Rapnik, McGowan.

Kilmarnock Combe, Murray, Lilley, Ford, Hay, Johnston (Di Giacomo 71), Fowler, Hamill, Taouil (Locke 87),Dalglish, Fernandez (Cox 87).

Subs Not Used: Rascle, Flannigan, McInnes, Anson.

Booked: Fernandez.

Goals: Murray 74, Di Giacomo 83.

Att: 10,512

Ref: M Tumilty (Scotland).