Hearts 1-0 Kilmarnock: Suso seals top-six slot

Published Date: 10 April 2010
By BARRY ANDERSON
AT TYNECASTLE
Goal: Suso 31
WITH Vladimir Romanov in attendance for the first time since May 2009, Hearts secured top-six status with a narrow victory over Kilmarnock which belied the control they enjoyed throughout the 90 minutes.

Suso Santana, the Spanish winger, struck the only goal of the afternoon on 31 minutes with an angled drive low into the Kilmarnock net. Not since a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park at the end of last season had Romanov took in a Hearts match, his last appearance at Tynecastle being back in November 2008. He was treated to a day of entertaining football from his charges, whose only fault was their inability to convert possession into goals.

Hearts donned black armbands in honour of their former left-half Dougie Armstrong, who died earlier this week aged 84. He served the club for eight years during the 1940s and 50s. Both sides showed injury-enforced alterations, two for Hearts and three for Kilmarnock, and the home defence assumed a rather unfamiliar look with Ruben Palazuelos and Eggert Jonsson occupying the full-back berths and Marius Zaliukas partnering Lee Wallace in the centre.

Chris Maguire's early cross was nodded over the Hearts crossbar from close range by Conor Sammon before Christian Nade prodded a low attempt into the arms of Cameron Bell at the opposite end. Suso's powerful drive careered off the head of Tim Clancy during a period of concerted early pressure by the hosts, however referee Euan Norris and both his assistants somehow contrived to miss the deflection and goal kick was awarded.

The neatest attacking move thus far arrived on 17 minutes when Suso meandered inside from the right flank to exchange passes with David Obua. Unfortunately for the Spaniard the interchange merited better than his tame shot. Moments later Wallace's marauding run and cutback found Nade but the Frenchman's first-time finish was wayward.

Suso wasn't finished probing and his persistence paid off shortly after the half-hour. Eggert Jonsson spun inside Garry Hay but saw his left-footed attempt blocked by the defender. The rebound landed at Suso's feet for a crisp strike low into Bell's right corner. With Andy Driver having left the field through injury only seconds earlier, the goal represented a timely tonic for Hearts.

David Templeton was Driver's replacement and, when his deft backheel released Palazuelos down the left side, Nade sent the resultant low cross spinning onto the top of the Kilmarnock net. That proved to be the final threat of a first half monopolised by the hosts.

Hearts' dominance continued after the interval, although it required the save of the match from Jamie MacDonald to preserve a clean sheet. From substitute Ian Flannigan's right-sided free-kick, Manuel Pascali rose to power a downward header towards the bottom right corner of MacDonald's net. The young goalkeeper, alert and agile, produced a mesmerising save almost at ground level to divert the ball for a corner with his right palm.

Templeton's 30-yard attempt rose steadily into the Gorgie Road stand before Hearts appealed for a penalty when Obua fell inside the penalty area under pressure from Clancy. On 71 minutes Nade's first-time attempt from a Larry Kingston corner arced wide, further evidence that the hosts were the dominant force whilst toiling to transform control of possession into goals.

Obua delivered an outswinging cross from the left for Suso to volley at goal with nine minutes remaining, although Bell repelled the winger's shot. Templeton then collected Jonsson's pass and rounded the goalkeeper but was tackled just in the act of shooting. Just to make Tynecastle hearts beat that bit faster, substitute Scott Robinson's touch from another Kingston corner somehow resulted in the ball rising over the Kilmarnock crossbar from just three yards.

In stoppage-time, a quite baffling piece of officiating denied Obua a likely second goal. As the ball rebounded off Kilmarnock's Simon Ford and entered the visitors' half, the Ugandan touched it round his marker, James Fowler, and set off towards goal with a pack of defenders chasing. Yet the far side assistant referee, David Watt, raised his flag for offside assuming Obua had delivered a pass to the nearby Robinson. Referee Euan Norris acknowledged the error upon the final whistle, by which time Hearts' place in the SPL's top six was safe.

Hearts (4-4-2): MacDonald; Jonsson, Zaliukas, Wallace, Palazuelos; Suso, Kingston, Black, Driver; Nade, Obua. Subs: Ridgers, Novikovas, Bouzid, Elliot, Templeton 33 (for Driver), Robinson 77 (for Nade), C Thomson 84 (for Suso).

Kilmarnock: (4-4-2): Bell; Clancy, Ford, Pascali, Hay; Maguire, Severin, Fowler, Taouil; Russell, Sammon. Subs: Combe, Invincibile 84 (for Russell), Flannigan 46 (for Sammon), Kelly, Burchill 46 (for Taouil), Old, Skelton.

Referee: Euan Norris.

Attendance: 14,050.

Taken from the Scotsman