Hearts defeated Kilmarnock 3-2 at Tynecastle on Saturday to remain unbeaten in 2025.
Neil Critchley made two changes to the side that defeated Brechin City in the Scottish Cup last weekend as James Wilson and Blair Spittal returned to the team in place of Yan Dhanda and Kenneth Vargas.
Kilmarnock have enjoyed playing at Tynecastle in recent years, but despite starting the better of the two teams, it was the men in maroon who struck first after six minutes.
The visitors had enjoyed more of the ball in the early exchanges, but it was Hearts who opened the scoring. It was a clever run down the left from Wilson and when his cross was returned to him by Jorge Grant, the young striker squared the ball for Kabangu to sweep home from close range to mark his Tynecastle debut with a goal.
The Jambos were forced into an early change on 11 minutes as Craig Halkett was forced off after stretching to block a cross, he was replaced by Lewis Neilson.
The visitors' first effort of the afternoon came from Fraser Murray as he sent a low effort from distance into the gloves of Craig Gordon.
The men in maroon almost doubled their advantage seconds later, as Blair Spittal pulled the ball back for Wilson, but on his left-foot, he swept the ball over from inside the area.
The striker came even closer on 27 minutes as once again Spittal and James Penrice combined down the left. It was smart movement from the striker, who delayed his run to create space for himself, but his goalbound effort was blocked brilliantly by Robbie Deas.
Hearts had started to gain the upper hand, and they had the ball in the net on 32 minutes, as Jamie McCart rose highest to get on the end of Blair Spittal’s free kick, but his goal was ruled out for a tight offside.
Half-time: Hearts 1-0 Kilmarnock
Killie were level within five minutes of the second half as Marley Watkins timed his run well to get in behind the Hearts backline down the right and his pull back was finished off smartly by Bobby Wales at the near post.
The Jambos almost restored their lead just minutes later as Spittal curled a free kick just wide from the edge of the box, after Wilson had been brought down by Killie substitute Danny Armstrong.
The visitors weren’t level for long however and having been unfortunate in the first half to have a goal ruled out, there was no stopping McCart this time, as he bulleted a header from Penrice’s corner past Kieran O’Hara on 57 minutes.
Just four minutes later, Jorge Grant added a third in bizarre fashion. Having initially slid in, in an attempt to turn home a cross from the left, the ball was blocked and looped up in the air. O’Hara seemed favourite to take what looked a fairly routine catch, but Grant got back up on his feet to beat the stopper to the ball and head into the empty net.
The men in maroon looked comfortable at that point, but Kilmarnock again fought back as Armstrong’s cross to the back post was met by Fraser Murray, who headed the ball down into the ground and through the legs of Craig Gordon.
Critchley made a triple change with around 20 minutes remaining as Lawrence Shankland, Yan Dhanda and Musa Drammeh were introduced to freshen things up.
Drammeh should really have wrapped up all three points but after being played in by Kabangu, his effort kissed the outside of the post to ensure a nervy last 15 minutes.
Killie were launching balls into the Hearts box as the clock ticked into the closing stages and Gordon came up with a magnificent save to preserve Hearts’ lead, leaping to his right to get fingertips on David Watson’s strike from the edge of the box.
Drammeh had one final effort stopped by O’Hara in the final stages, but Hearts defended their box well and after four minutes of stoppage time, picked up all three points.
Hearts: Gordon ©, Halkett (Neilson, 11), Baningime, Grant (Drammeh, 69), Devlin, Spittal (Dhanda, 69), Kabangu (Boateng, 92), Wilson (Shankland, 69), Penrice, McCart, Forrester
Subs: Clark, Shankland, Forrest, Boateng, Dhanda, Neilson, Drammeh, Vargas, Taylor
Kilmarnock: O’Hara, Ndaba, Wright ©, Mayo, Deas (Anderson, 86) Murray, Magennis (Watson, 68), Ramsay (Armstrong, 46), Watkins, Wales, Polworth (Donnelly, 68)
Subs: Glavin, Armstrong, Watson, Mackay-Steven, Anderson, Donnelly, Brown, Brannan, Brown
