SPFL
Premiership, Sunday 4 May 2014 – Tynecastle
Hearts continued their
recent excellent form by hitting a hapless Kilmarnock team for five at
Tynecastle on Sunday. A week ago, the Maroons were celebrating yet another
Edinburgh derby after winning 2-1 at Easter Road. The celebrations this time
were equally enthusiastic as Gary Locke’s men exacted revenge and them some on
a Killie team who won 4-0 on their last visit to Gorgie on Boxing Day.
It’s a sign of the upsurge
in recent Hearts performances that the experienced Jamie Hamill, who was
suspended for the Hibs game, could only find a place on the substitutes’ bench
as Gary Locke opted for an unchanged line-up. Killie, managed by former Hearts
favourite Allan Johnston, have a decent record at Tynecastle and they knew a
win would lift them above Hibs in the league table.
However, it was Hearts who
began the game with fervour with the ever-dangerous Dale Carrick creating the
game’s first chance before Ryan Stevenson got on the end of a cross from Callum
Paterson only to see Killie keeper Samson save well.
Hearts had begun the game
with style and their adventure was rewarded after 11 minutes. The impressive
Sam Nicholson was fouled on the edge of the Killie penalty box. Ryan Stevenson
fired the subsequent free-kick through a ruck of players and into the net to
give the home side the lead.
Hearts continued to drive
forward with the visiting defence being pulled apart at times. It was
inevitable Hearts would double their lead and they duly did after 23 minutes. Delightful
play from Nicholson and Carrick set up Stevenson and his shot from the edge of
the penalty box flew past Samson. 2-0 to Hearts.
Killie’s Kris Boyd, so often
the scourge of Hearts, nearly pulled one back for the visitors but Hearts
keeper Jamie MacDonald pulled off a fine save to deny the former Rangers and
Scotland striker. Another goal did arrive before half-time but it was for the
dominant home side. Billy King set off on a run before delivering a superb
cross for Stevenson to poke the ball past Samson to complete his hat-trick. The
Hearts players left the field at half-time to a standing ovation as well as a comfortable
3-0 lead.
The second half took on the
same pattern as the first with Hearts dominating proceedings. Stevenson came close
to adding his and Hearts fourth with a shot that hit the post before the
goal-hero became goal-maker ten minutes into the second half with a superb pass
to Billy King who raced clear and fire the ball home. 4-0 to Hearts.
Just four minutes later it
was 5-0. Stevenson again fired in a cross across the Killie goal where Callum
Paterson had raced to steer the ball home. There was still more than half an
hour to play and Hearts were already 5-0 up. It was a quite incredible
afternoon.
Killie managed to tighten
things up for the final half an hour and while Hearts were still dominant,
there endeth the scoring.
It was, without question,
Hearts best performance of the season. Manager Gary Locke was understandably
delighted.
"It
was a great result, great performance," said the man who once played for
Kilmarnock. "We've been threatening to do that for a few weeks and I'm
delighted. You can see the youngsters have learned from their mistakes. They're
getting better with confidence. Everybody wanted the ball and I thought we
played some great stuff today. I'm really happy for the fans because that's the
type of performance their support deserves."
Ironically,
Hearts demolishing of Kilmarnock was a boost to Hibernian who remain above the
Ayrshire side in the league table. Despite the doom and gloom at Easter Road,
on the evidence of this afternoon, it’s Kilmarnock who look most likely to be
involved in the end-of-season play-offs – ironically, against Queen of the
South who Allan Johnston left last season to head to Rugby Park.
Hearts
entertain Partick Thistle on Wednesday evening at Tynecastle. Another
performance like this will make the final home game of the season a special occasion.
Hearts: MacDonald; Paterson, McGowan, Wilson, McHattie;
King, Robinson, Holt, Nicholson; Stevenson, Carrick
Kilmarnock: Samson, Tesselaar, Clingan, Boyd, Johnston, Barbour,
McKenzie, Makismenko, Slater, Pascali, Muirhead
Referee: Calum Murray
Att: 13,656
Top man: Ryan Stevenson – hat-trick hero and tormentor in
chief.
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