Hearts fell to a 1-0 defeat away to Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Bruce Anderson’s first-half penalty proved the difference between the sides, in a match the hosts played 84 minutes with ten men following Robbie Deas’ early red card.
Head Coach Neil Critchley made two changes from the side that lost in Copenhagen during midweek UEFA Conference League action. The injured Frankie Kent was replaced by Craig Halkett, while Musa Drammeh came in for the suspended Lawrence Shankland, with Craig Gordon donning the captain’s armband.
It was nearly a dream start for the Jambos only a minute in. Blair Spittal’s corner to the back door was met by a combination of Halkett and Musa, with the ball rattling off Robby McCrorie’s left-hand post before being put behind for another corner.
Only two minutes later the hosts were reduced to ten men. Deas went in high on Kenneth Vargas’ ankle and despite originally issuing a yellow card, referee Don Robertson was sent to the VAR monitor and changed the decision to red.
A quick Hearts breakaway presented another chance on the quarter hour mark, with Cammy Devlin finding Spittal inside the box. He lined up to shoot but the backtracking Brad Lyons took it off the man in maroon’s foot and turned it narrowly past his own post.
One minute later, Kilmarnock were awarded a penalty when James Penrice’s high boot was judged to have made contact with Joe Wright’s face inside the area. Anderson stepped up and slotted home down the middle from the spot.
Gordon had to be at his best to keep the score at 1-0 just before the half hour mark. Marley Watkins was slipped into the box but the Scotland keeper was out quick and big, turning the Killie striker’s effort around the post. From the resulting corner, Joe Wright headed a few yards wide of the target.
Soon after, Malachi Boateng tried his luck from distance but his low drive lacked power and McCrorie got down to smother the ball.
Watkins was again played into the Hearts box, with five minutes remaining until half time, but this time, from an angle, his shot was weak and Gordon held easily.
Alan Forrest had a half chance deep into first half stoppage time, taking a ball down inside the box and firing a half-volley on target but it was straight at McCrorie.
Half time: Kilmarnock 1-0 Hearts
A roll of the dice was made during the break, with Yan Dhanda and Jorge Grant introduced in the place of Boateng and Forrest. The hosts made a brace of changes too, including goalkeeper McCrorie being replaced by Kieran O’Hara.
And it was the home side who threatened first, breaking quickly into the Hearts box through David Watson, but his low, placed effort was palmed away by Gordon.
Liam Boyce and James Wilson were quickly brought on in the place of Spittal and Vargas eight minutes into the restart. Almost immediately, it was Kilmarnock who created another good opportunity with Liam Polworth cutting back for Liam Donnelly, but his effort was deflected inches wide by Kye Rowles.
The Jambos went so close to getting an equaliser on 72 minutes. Dhanda’s pass into the box found Penrice, whose ferocious drive was beaten away by O’Hara and the loose ball flew inches past the outstretched leg of the unmarked Boyce five yards out from goal.
Grant wasn’t a million miles away from testing the keeper with five minutes remaining when he connected with Dhanda’s free kick, only to see his header land on the roof of the net.
Another Dhanda set piece, late on, found Halkett inside the box and although he got power on his header he couldn’t direct it away from O’Hara, who plucked the ball from the air.
With moments remaining, Dhanda unleashed a rocket of a long-range effort which smacked back off the crossbar.
The Jam Tarts now look to Thursday night’s Conference League tie with Moldovan’s Petrocub and the chance of progression to the knockout phase.
Kilmarnock: McCrorie (O’Hara, 46’), Ndaba, Wright, Mayo, Deas, Lyons, Murray, Anderson (Donnelly, 46’ – McKenzie, 83’), Watkins (Cameron, 70’), Wales (Watson, 11’), Polworth. Subs: Burroughs, Armstrong, Mackay-Steven, Burke.
Hearts: Gordon, Halkett, Oyegoke (Forrester, 86’), Devlin, Rowles, Spittal (Boyce, 53’), Forrest (Dhanda, 46’), Boateng (Grant, 46’), Penrice, Musa, Vargas (Wilson, 53’). Subs: Clark, Oda, Tait, Salazar.
Referee: Don Robertson
