Old boys keep a hold on hosts

KILMARNOCK PAIR Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown are still warmly thought of in the Tynecastle area for masterminding the club's Scottish Cup win 10 years ago, but much more of this and they won't be invited back.

The duo have now recorded just one defeat in their last nine meetings with their former club, and the latest addition to the canon - a scrappy but not undeserved victory secured by a Craig Bryson goal with just eight minutes left - made as severe a dent to the Gorgie club's fragile morale as any in recent years. The Ayrshire club returned to third in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League table in the process - replacing their opponents, who slipped to fifth - and it must have been particularly galling for the Hearts fans that the victory owed more than a little to a couple of trademark managerial masterstrokes from Jefferies.

After their 3-1 defeat at Inverness last week, Jefferies had threatened to make wholesale changes, and hadn't spared midfield duo Bryson and Manuel Pascali from his ire. Bryson had been castigated for not doing enough of the dirty work in midfield, and Pascali could have been dropped because he was playing too deep. Yet the Italian found himself made stand-in skipper in the absence of Garry Hay and James Fowler "That was a little bit of psychological managership," Jefferies conceded. "Last week he sat and protected a back four but I am not wanting him to do that, I want him to be a central midfielder. I gave him a hard time in training even yesterday, so I gave him the armband today and I think he was over the moon."
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Of Bryson's contribution he said: "He is better making runs and driving at people. It reminds me of what Colin Cameron used to do here when I had him at Hearts, coming late into the box, and a terrific finish."

Hearts fans are used to turning up at kick-off time to a few surprises and they were treated to a first start for Mike Tullberg, the club's Danish summer loan signing from Italy. Jason Thomson came in for the suspended Eggert Jonsson at right back, in a more orthodox 4-4-2 shape than has been customary of late.

Referee Craig Thomson signalled an intention to let things flow when he resisted the temptation to award a booking for a reckless high challenge from Pascali on Michael Stewart, and from that point on the Ayrshire club rarely let Hearts get into their stride. "The team has gone back to the past," said their manager Csaba Laszlo. "It is not the best football to kick and run and put the ball forward all the time."

Christophe Berra had flicked a Laryea Kingston corner into the Kilmarnock sidenetting, but it was Kilmarnock who got a deserved opening goal. Jamie Mole illegally halted a Bryson run - earning himself a booking in the process - to give away a free-kick some 25 yards from goal. Medhi Taouil's right-footed execution got the ball up and down in time to leave Marian Kello clawing at thin air.

Stewart had been omitted from George Burley's Scotland squad during the week, and the only consolation he would have here was creating the equalising goal. When his shot from inside the box was blocked by the lunging Bryson, it rolled into the path of Kingston, who side-footed the ball into the bottom corner.

This was to be one of the Ghanaian's better days at the office. Into the second half, he continued to be the man most likely to win the game for Hearts. His right-foot volley ended up only narrowly above the crossbar following a lusty charge from Thomson, then Alan Combe had to be alert when Saulius Mikoliunas managed to play him in. A header from the same player flew over from an Audrius Ksanavicius cross shortly afterwards, and Kingston was also on the end of Hearts' last chance when his late header dropped just wide of Combe's left-hand post.

The winning goal, however, arrived at the other end and it was fitting that the industrious Bryson should grab the glory. He worked an exchange of passes with substitute Donovan Simmonds on the edge of the box and burst through to place a smart low left-footed finish beneath Kello, before running off to milk the moment in front of the visiting fans who must be getting used to celebrating at Tynecastle.

Hearts substitutions: Ksanavicius for Mole 54, Nade for Tullberg 62, Makela for Mikoliunas 88 Not used: Balogh, Palazuelos, Aguiar, Rapnik Booking: Mole 18 Kilmarnock substitutions: Simmonds for Sammon 70, Skelton for Taouil 85 Not used: Rascle, Murray, Gibson, Flannigan, Cox Booking: Taouil 28, Ford 37, Fernandez 45, Pascali 69, Lilley 90.

Referee: C Thomson Att: 13,189

Taken from the Sunday Herald