Late Bryson goal ends Jambos' home winning streak

BARRY ANDERSON
AT TYNECASTLE
A LATE strike by Kilmarnock's Craig Bryson consigned Hearts to defeat and ended their 100 per cent home record this season on an afternoon when striking deficiencies were again in evidence for Csaba Laszlo's side.

Bereft of creativity, the hosts suffered in the final third and were outdone by a lively Ayrshire side despite dominating long periods of the second half.

Mehdi Taouil opened the scoring with a sublime first-half free-kick before Larry Kingston produced a controlled equaliser prior to the interval. Hearts controlled the play thereafter but could not convert heavy ball possession into goals and sustained a suckerpunch nine minutes from time through Bryson.

Perhaps one positive for the hosts was the display of home debutant Mike Tullberg. The Dane started for the first time since joining on loan from the Italian club Reggina and looked brimming with endeavour and physical strength. He was heavily involved during the opening stages, which were openly contested by two attack-minded sides.

It required a set-piece on 19 minutes to ignite proceedings as Jamie Mole suffered for his loose pass in midfield, which preceded a trip on Kilmarnock's Bryson. After the striker's wayward ball in behind Michael Stewart, the visitors assumed possession and, striving to redeem himself, Mole tracked back to impede the advancing Bryson on the edge of Hearts' penalty area and was cautioned. Taouil expertly curled the free-kick away from Marian Kello into the top left corner of the goal.

As natives got restless Mole became the focal point of their anger, although the Kilmarnock captain Manuel Pascali did plenty to incur criticism with some quite brutal tackles in midfield.

Home supporters settled in their seats again when Kingston levelled on 34 minutes. Tullberg, from the left flank, played an intelligent reverse pass to Michael Stewart but his left-footed strike careered off Simon Ford to Kingston. The Ghanaian calmly slotted the ball low to Alan Combe's right from 20 yards and looked thoroughly relieved at doing so.

The Hearts defence continued to look less than convincing whenever Kilmarnock ventured forward, an issue which ought to have featured in Laszlo's interval address. The Hungarian must have recognised that his side required to assert themselves more but that they appeared somewhat inhibited during the opening 45 minutes was down to Kilmarnock's pressing game.

A flowing forward move saw Jason Thomson cross for Kingston, however the ambitious first-time finish was high and did not trouble Combe.

Thereafter Hearts began to dominate with Tullberg replaced by Christian Nade as overhead conditions neared monsoon proportions.

With 15 minutes remaining, this match was teetering on a knife-edge. The hosts fashioned a useful opening when Saulius Mikoliunas' though pass put Kingston face-to-face with Combe on 77 minutes, but the visiting goalkeeper's impressive reflexes saw him smother the shot.

Hearts continued attacking with the ever-animated Laszlo urging them forward from his technical area. However, Kilmarnock produced a stinging winner with nine minutes remaining.

A high ball out of defence was gathered by Bryson and, following a tidy interchange with substitute Donovan Simmonds, the midfielder stroked the ball past Kello with his left foot. With that, home shouldered dropped as a second half into which they threw everything neared its conclusion.

Audrius Ksanavicius' cross saw Kingston nod the ball over Combe's crossbar during the final moments, while Kello was down sharply to his right to repel Kilmarnock substitute Gavin Skelton's controlled shot.

But, ultimately, Bryson's strike was sufficient to secure Jim Jefferies a priceless victory and end Hearts' impressive home sequence in the process.

Hearts (4-4-1-1): Kello; Thomson, Zaliukas, Berra, Wallace; Kingston, Karipidis, Stewart, Mikoliunas; Mole; Tullberg. Subs: Balogh, Palazuelos, Aguiar, Ksanavicius 55 (for Mole), Nade 63 (for Tullberg), Makela 88 (for Mikoliunas), Rapnik.

Kilmarnock (4-4-2): Combe; Lilley, Ford, Wright, Hamill; Invincibile, Pascali, Bryson, Taouil; Sammon, Fernandez. Subs: Rascle, Murray, Gibson, Skelton 87 (for Taouil), Flannigan, Cox, Simmonds 70 (for Sammon).

Referee: Craig Thomson.

Attendance: 13,189.

Taken from the Scotsman