Hearts slump to bottom of the table after Kilmarnock loss
Heart of Midlothian 2 Kilmarnock 3
Ladbrokes Premiership – Wednesday 5th February
2020 – Tynecastle Park
After
the weekend’s all-too brief respite from the Ladbroke’s Premiership basement,
Hearts returned there on Wednesday evening after a 3-2 loss to Kilmarnock at Tynecastle.
Killie
have proved something of a bogey team to Hearts in recent seasons, particularly
in Gorgie and they deepened the Tynecastle side’s relegation worries with a clinical
performance.
With
the recent win over Rangers and hard-earned draw against St Johnstone, optimism
had returned to the Maroon Army once more and they enjoyed watching their team
dominate the early stages against Killie. In the opening seconds Liam Boyce set up
Steven Naismith but the former Killie striker saw his effort on goal blocked as
the home team forced a succession of corners. Then Euan Henderson drove at the
Killie defence before forcing keeper Branescu into a save.
However,
Hearts early pressure came to nothing and their short fallings in defence were
exposed yet again as the visitors took the lead in the 24th minute
when Findlay headed home after Burke’s corner took a deflection.
Seven
minutes before half-time Killie doubled their advantage with a brilliant goal
from Burke and you could almost hear Hearts recent optimism hissing away in the
Gorgie night sky.
If
the Hearts support were hoping for a change of fortune in the second half they
got their answer after just five minutes. Killie striker Brophy was given the
freedom of Gorgie Road to turn on the edge of the Hearts penalty box before
firing a shot on goal which Hearts keeper Joel Pereira really ought to have
done better with. 3-0 to the visitors and many Hearts fans headed to the exits
with 40 minutes still to play.
With
10 minutes to go Hearts were given a glimmer of hope when Killie keeper
Branescu fouled Hearts substitute Conor Washington inside the penalty box and
was shown a yellow card. Sean Clare scored with the resultant penalty and when
he tried to retrieve the ball from the net the Killie keeper foolishly booted
the ball away. A second yellow card was brandished at Branescu and he was on
his way.
In
the final minute Hearts ensured a grandstand finish when fine play from
substitute Jamie Walker found Craig Halkett and the defender fired home to
bring the score back to 3-2.
Sadly
for Hearts it was too little too late and with Hamilton Academical drawing at
St Mirren Hearts slumped back to the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership table.
Hearts: Pereira, White, Souttar,
Clare, Naismith, Halkett, Moore (Walker, 68′), Boyce, Langer (Ikpeazu, 52′),
Irving, Henderson (Washington, 61′).
Kilmarnock: Branescu, O’Donnell,
Power, McKenzie (Koprivec, 80′), Dicker, Brophy (Kiltie, 74′), Hamalainen,
Findlay (Broadfoot, 66′), Del Fabro, Kabamba, Burke.
Referee: David Munro
Attendance: 16,211
Top
man: Sean
Clare