A late goal from Danny Invincibile earned
Kilmarnock a share of the spoils with Hearts at Rugby Park.
FOR THE second week running
Rugby Park reverberated to the sounds of Down Under after Danny
Invincibile showed he is finally living up to his name by plundering his
third goal in two matches to rescue a point.
The Australian popped up three minutes before the end of this game to
score unchallenged with a header.
It was as much as Kilmarnock deserved from a game in which they refused
to be buried, despite going behind to a smart piece of instinctive work
by Andy Webster, the defender steering Phil Stamp’s low drive into the
net from a corner.
Manager Jim Jefferies was quick to praise his striker afterwards. "He
was outstanding today. He caused them all sorts of problems with his
movement," he said. "The two goals he got last week and his performance
have given him a lot of confidence after struggling back from injury and
if he continues that form we’ll be well pleased.
"We’ve been in situations this season where we’ve missed chances and
it’s cost us, but it didn’t cost us today and maybe we’ve got over that
lean spell."
Invincibile’s strength and tireless running constantly asked questions
of a makeshift Hearts defence which featured Christophe Berra making his
debut, while Andy Webster assumed the linchpin role in the absence of
Steven Pressley, who missed the game with a virus.
The Australian’s assured performance up front threw Hearts’ problems
into sharp relief, as the Gorgie side were made to look lightweight in
the absence of Mark de Vries.
In an evenly matched contest, Hearts had looked like holding on for a
win until the late defensive slip.
Kevin McKenna was posing a threat up front in his temporary striking
role and the visitors forced a couple of early corners.
In the seventh minute Hearts' Andy Kirk worked some room at the edge
of the Killie box but his curled shot
went high and wide of the target.
The home side took time to settle but in the 14th minute on-loan
midfielder Erik Skora had a decent effort on goal from 16 yards which
hit the side-netting.
Six minutes later the visitors fashioned a great chance on the
counter-attack when Kirk found McKenna free on the right but the big
Canadian's drive from the edge of the box flew over the crossbar.
Minutes before the break Killie striker Kris Boyd shrugged off Hearts
defender Alan Maybury after taking a pass from Stephen Murray but his shot
from 14 yards was again too high.
Killie were dealt a blow at the start of the second half when keeper
Colin Meldrum had to go off with a calf injury, which meant a first team
debut for young Graeme Smith.
Former Hearts favourite Gary Locke went close to sinking his old club
after 52 minutes when his low drive whistled inches past the post.
Boyd then had a fierce shot
blocked in a crowded penalty area and Danny Invincible headed straight
at Craig Gordon as the home team upped the pressure.
However, it was Hearts who broke the deadlock against the run of
play.
Following a corner from Kirk, Phil Stamp drove a low ball into a busy
Kilmarnock goalmouth and Webster stuck out a toe to divert the ball past
Smith from eight yards.
Kris Boyd, who went off with a calf strain,
then had the ball in the net from a corner, but the whistle had already
gone.
Hearts were buoyed by the goal and it needed a great reflex save from
Smith to deny Robert Sloan
after the young midfielder connected with an Alan Maybury cross at the
back post. 
Hearts substitute Graeme Weir then blazed a great opportunity over
the crossbar from close range after a headed knock-down from McKenna.
The visitors were finishing the game strongly but were hit by an
equaliser in the 87th minute.
A corner from David Lilley was flicked on by Colin Nish and, with the
Hearts defence ball watching, leaving Danny Invincibile (left)
had the easy task of knocking the ball into an unprotected net from
a few yards out.
61
mins), Dindeleaux, Hay, Skora, Locke, Fowler, Murray, Boyd,
(Nish 66 mins), Invincibile.
