Killie were looking to halt their slide after drawing three of their
last four league matches.
They were boosted with club captain Garry Hay's return, allowing boss
Jim Jefferies to name a more familiar line-up.
With both sides struggling to keep their feet in slippery conditions,
the busy Nade tried his luck with an overhead kick from 12 yards, but
Killie keeper Alan Combe was equal to the task.
Daniele Invincible eventually responded for Kilmarnock, but his
header from distance was tipped around the post by Basso, as the game
cried out for a major spark to ignite the crowd.
Michael Stewart, who was beginning to impose himself for Hearts,
drove a free-kick just beyond the half-hour from 25 yards only for Combe
to deny him.
The spark well and truly arrived a minute before the break when Nade
was dismissed with a straight red card for a reckless punch at Fraser
Wright.
With a player short the Edinburgh side were required to reshuffle,
and Makela was surprisingly replaced by Ricardas Beniusis just a few
minutes into the second period.
Killie took full advantage of their extra man, however, to blast in
front with a goal worthy of lighting up any game.
Gary Wales received a knock down from Nish on the edge
of the penalty area and the forward struck a sweet half-volley beyond
Basso into the left hand corner of the net. This was Gary's first goal
in over a year for Killie having last netted on Oct 21st 2006 in
Killie's fine,
2-0 at Tynecastle, against his former employers.
With the visitors falling off the pace, they were punished with a
penalty awarded when Neilson appeared to handle.
Colin
Nish (left) calmly converted to put Killie two ahead and Hearts
assistant head coach Stephen Frail was sent to the stand immediately
afterwards for his protests.
Jim Jefferies' side didn't have to wait long for the third.
The
alert Willie Gibson picked up Bassos' shambolic free kick
and swiftly shot home into an empty net, thus finishing off the
Tynecastle men.
Alan Combe was booked at the 90 min mark, for winding-up the
remaining Hearts fans behind his goal, as he went on to kiss the Killie
badge on his shirt! (right).
Tall went upfield for Hearts in injury time to head home Andrew Drivers'
flighted free kick, but it simply failed to take the sheen off a
fully-merited Kilmarnock victory.
Sandy's Match Pic's are
HERE
77
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