Hearts 0-2 Kilmarnock

Hearts went down 2-0 to a clinical Kilmarnock side on what proved to be a frustrating afternoon at Tynecastle.

Second half goals from David Silva and Alexei Eremenko within ten minutes of half-time won the match for the Ayrshire side, despite Eremenko's dismissal with 18 minutes remaining.

Jim Jefferies was forced to make three changes from last week's goalless draw with Aberdeen. Andy Webster missed out with a groin injury, and Stephen Elliott dropped to the bench along with Andy Driver. In came Ismael Bouzid, Suso Santana and Calum Elliot.

Hearts were first to threaten after five minutes. Elliot released Skacel on the right hand side. His cutback was meant for Suso, although the ball found its way to Templeton at the back post, whose low curling effort was well held by Annsi Jaakkola.

Ismael Bouzid got a foot to Suso's low delivery two minutes later, although the Algerian's flick flashed just the wrong side of the post.

Templeton looked dangerous in the opening stages. The young winger played in Suso down the right and the Spaniard saw his low drive deflected wide after 13 minutes.

Bouzid had another chance after quarter of an hour. Jaakkola dropped Eggert Jonsson's free kick and the centre half attempted to back heel the ball in, although he couldn't force the ball past covering defenders.

Templeton was again involved on 19 minutes, driving the ball off a Kilmarnock player and just wide of the near post.

Kilmarnock had their first sight of goal after 21 minutes. Zaliukas lost possession to Eremenko, who in turn played in Liam Kelly on the angle of the Hearts box. The midfielder couldn't keep his shot down however, and drove high and wide of Kello's goal.

Templeton came even closer a minute later, heading Thomson's high delivery off the cross bar with Jaakkola beaten all ends up.

David Silva was next to have a go for the Ayrshire men, and Kello was relieved to see his effort deflect wide off Ryan Stevenson's head ten minutes before the break.

The same player gave Kilmarnock the lead five minutes after the restart. The Portuguese picked the ball up midway through the Hearts half after slack play on the Jambos' part. Silva continued in to the penalty area before dispatching a low right foot shot past Kello to give Mixu Paatelainen's men a surprise lead.

The Ayrshire men doubled their advantage five minutes later. Eremenko fed Willy Gros in the area who turned towards the by-line before returning the ball in to the Finn's path. The on-loan playmaker arrived right on cue and stroked it high in to the net.

Gros was close to ending the match as a contest on the hour mark. He scampered clear of the Hearts backline and the Frenchman was unfortunate to see his shot fly inches wide of Kello's far post.

Some magnificent individual skill by Templeton gave Skacel a shooting opportunity on 68 minutes, although a combination of Wright and Jaakkola denied the Czech midfielder.

The real flashpoint came in the 72nd minute; Alexei Eremenko was shown a straight red card by Steven McLean after clashing with Marius Zaliukas. The Hearts skipper received a yellow for his troubles, as did David Templeton.

Templeton looked the most likely to get Hearts back in to it, and his powerful drive on 79 minutes wasn't too far away.

As it was, that was the last meaningful attack of the match, as the ten men did enough to stifle the home side and leave Gorgie with all three points for the second time this season.

Hearts: Kello, C Thomson, Bouzid, Zaliukas, Jonsson; Mrowiec, Stevenson (Elliott 62), Skacel, Suso, Templeton; Elliot. (Glen 73) Subs not used: MacDonald, Kucharski, Driver, Robinson, Prychynenko.

Kilmarnock: Jaakkola, Clancy, Fowler, Wright, Bryson, Hamill, Silva (Hay 89), Eremenko, Kelly, Gros (Miguel 85), Pascali. Subs not used: Letheren, Agard, Laurant, Kennedy, Aubameyang.

Referee: Steven McLean

Top man: David Templeton

Hearts World