Kilmarnock 3 Heart of Midlothian 0
Ladbrokes Premiership, Saturday 23rd November 2019 – Rugby Park
Hearts miserable season continued in deepest Ayrshire on Saturday when a calamitous eight-minute spell early in the first half saw Kilmarnock score three goals to ensure another woeful weekend for the Maroon Army.
Hearts interim Head Coach Austin MacPhee made just one change to the team that hammered St Mirren at Tynecastle a fortnight ago with Glenn Whelan replacing Andrew Irving.
There was an early warning sign for the visitors when Killie’s Burke set up Bruce but Clevid Dikamona thwarted the home player and the ball cannoned off Hearts keeper Joel Pereira.
After Jamie Walker spurned an opportunity to put the visitors in front the roof fell in on Hearts afternoon in spectacular fashion.
In the eighth minute Killie’s El Makrini was given far too much time to set up Burke and the former Rangers man picked his spot from six yards to put the home side in front.
Just five minutes later Killie doubled their advantage and again it was down to poor defending from Hearts as Brophy was given the freedom of Rugby Park to head home.
Two minutes later it was all over as contest when Burke was allowed to run unchallenged towards the Hearts goal before firing home Killie’s third goal.
To paraphrase a song by The Proclaimers it was sixty miles to Kilmarnock to see the Jambos play – but the rest of the game I won’t relay.
Suffice to say if Austin MacPhee is given the Hearts manager’s job permanently there will be a lot of unhappy Hearts supporters.
Kilmarnock: Branescu, O’Donnell, Del Fabro, Bruce, Hamalainen, Power, Dicker, El Makrini, McKenzie (Millar, 85′), Burke (Thomas, 89′), Brophy (Sow, 85′).
Hearts: Pereira, Smith, Berra, White, Dikamona (Clare, 57′), Hickey (Mulraney, 46′), Bozanic, Walker, Whelan, Ikpeazu (Meshino, 80′), Naismith.
Referee: Bobby Madden
Attendance: 6,728
Top man: No one to be frank
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
