Match ends, Kilmarnock 1, Heart of Midlothian 2.
KilmarnockKilmarnock1HeartsHeart of Midlothian2
Kilmarnock missed the chance to narrow the gap on Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic to three points as Hearts inflicted their first home loss in three months.
Two goals in five first-half minutes from Sean Clare and Steven Naismith put the visitors into a commanding lead.
Jordan Jones then pulled a goal back from the spot moments before half-time.
Despite a late siege, though, Hearts did enough to claim the victory to move within a point of Aberdeen in fourth.
Kilmarnock could finish the weekend nine points adrift of Celtic if Brendan Rodgers' side win in Perth on Sunday, while a victory for Aberdeen over Hibs would leave Steve Clarke's side in fourth.
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Naismith factor felt at Rugby Park
This was dogged stuff on a chilly night in Ayrshire. There was little in the early exchanges to heat up the brave souls who ventured to Rugby Park, a Michael Smith effort flagged for offside on 11 minutes the most exciting moment.
However, the game burst into life as the match ticked towards half-time and it was the visitors who edged into the lead on 38 minutes.
A neat interchange at the edge of the Kilmarnock box enabled Clare to jink past a static home defence and fire a low right-footed shot in off the far post for his first league goal.
It should have come as little surprise that Naismith was again at the heart of the Tynecastle club's crusade to their 13th win of the league campaign as Craig Levein's side soon doubled their lead.
The move was a piece of magic straight off the training ground. A quick free-kick was played out to Jake Mulraney peeling off on the left, and his low cutback found Naismith perfectly as the former Kilmarnock man steered the ball into the net from 12 yards.
Hearts have won 18 out of the 22 games Naismith has played in this season, and his experience was pivotal in Hearts seeing this match out as Kilmarnock tried to come back into things.
Their lifeline came just a minute before the break with Christophe Berra, fresh from signing a new Hearts deal earlier this week, bringing down Alan Power in a clumsy challenge in the box for Jones to convert.
Clarke's men upped their game after the break but their pressure yielded little reward. On-loan Liverpool striker Liam Miller should have done better from a header but, in the end, Hearts were not troubled enough in the final third.
'Clare goal changes game'- analysis
BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin at Rugby Park
Opportunities were at a premium in the opening 30 minutes, but goals change games and Clare is now beginning to repay the faith shown in him by Levein. His terrific first touch allowed him the space and time to slot home the opener but his work rate throughout was excellent.
And with John Souttar, Berra and Naismith back in the team after lengthy spells out, Hearts look more like the side who took the Premiership by storm early in the season.
Clarke's team will play poorer and win games. They piled on the pressure in the second half but rarely tested Colin Doyle in the Hearts goal. It may be at the end of the season that there will be very little between the teams.
'It's difficult to get past three big lumps' - reaction
Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke: "Fair play to Hearts, they were clever, but if you bring out the yellow cards at the start rather than the end, it allows your creative players to play.
"Disappointing result, but the performance was really good. Hearts came here to make it difficult for us and we fell asleep for the first goal. It is difficult when you have big three lumps defending their goal."
Hearts manager Craig Levein: "It was a typically tough match, but I am really thrilled as it's not an easy place to get anything.
"That's two wins we have down here this season at a place where so many find it difficult."
Line-ups
Kilmarnock
Formation 4-3-3
- 26Bachmann
- 2O'Donnell
- 16Boyd
- 17Findlay
- 3TaylorSubstituted forMillarat 78'minutes
- 27TshibolaBooked at 89minsSubstituted forBroadfootat 89'minutes
- 8Dicker
- 6Power
- 29BurkeSubstituted forMcKenzieat 78'minutes
- 12NdjoliBooked at 90mins
- 11JonesBooked at 42mins
Substitutes
- 1MacDonald
- 4Bruce
- 5Broadfoot
- 7McKenzie
- 18Waters
- 19Millar
- 21Frizzell
Hearts
Formation 3-4-3
- 13Doyle
- 4Souttar
- 3Shaughnessy
- 6BerraBooked at 72mins
- 2SmithSubstituted forDikamonaat 85'minutes
- 10Sutchuin-Djoum
- 7Bozanic
- 23MulraneySubstituted forMitchellat 68'minutes
- 38MorrisonSubstituted forLeeat 45'minutes
- 14Naismith
- 9ClareBooked at 84mins
Substitutes
- 1Zlamal
- 8Lee
- 11Mitchell
- 18MacLean
- 20Cochrane
- 28Dikamona
- 35Keena
- Referee:
- Steven McLean
- Attendance:
- 5,552
Match Stats
Home TeamKilmarnockAway TeamHearts
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away17
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Kilmarnock 1, Heart of Midlothian 2.
Booking
Mikael Ndjoli (Kilmarnock) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Mikael Ndjoli (Kilmarnock).
Post update
(Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Kilmarnock. Kirk Broadfoot replaces Aaron Tshibola.
Booking
Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock).
Post update
Demetri Mitchell (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock).
Post update
Demetri Mitchell (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Clévid Dikamona replaces Michael Smith because of an injury.
Post update
Attempt missed. Demetri Mitchell (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Stephen O'Donnell (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Booking
Sean Clare (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Sean Clare (Heart of Midlothian).
Post update
Attempt saved. Rory McKenzie (Kilmarnock) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. Liam Millar (Kilmarnock) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Post update
Gary Dicker (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Sean Clare (Heart of Midlothian).
Comments
Join the conversation
Bournemouth are a top 10 club with an attendance of around 10,000 and they are able to purchase a player, without a single Premier League goal, for £18m?
The bubble will burst one day. In the meantime, I will settle for a competitive Scottish league played on planet normal.
The penny drops...
Maybe? He is English though dont think he's smart enough. Stick to your foreign league buddy
You are spot on. Another pathetic English troll who seem massively obcessed with Scottish footbal.
Once the Cheese rolling and Bog diving seasons start they'll pipe down a bit.
Hopefully the Beeb will do a HYS on the all village morris dancing championship i have a thing or two to say 🤣😂
As for all the English hate about our league, we don't care! Look at your own league, not ours! Obsessed with Scottish Football for some odd reason? Save up your pennies to go and spend £60+ to watch Chelsea v Huddersfield.
@20 Have you seen today's fixture? Lunch time k/o between two overhyped, under-achieving nonentities and that's the pick of the bunch!
Fixture of the day has to be the Hibs v Mighty Dons but does that get live coverage? Looks like they've gone for the waste of airwaves 'Open all mics'.
One horse Scouse league .
Alternatively...Hearts narrow the gap on Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic!!
Well done Hearts. Big win at a tough ground to get 3 points at.
Agree totally on the drastic plastic and the bad news is Killie are rolling out a new one in the summer!