Killie, one place behind the third-placed visitors in the table, had
been the last team to beat the Gorgie side in the SPL at the end of
October with a 3-0 win at Tynecastle.
However, Jefferies' men had gone on an unbeaten run in the league
which had seen them garner 25 from a possible 27 points before they lost
at home to St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup last week.
Neither side, though, looked like European contenders in the opening
stages.
In the sixth minute Jambos midfielder Adrian Mrowiec almost sliced a
free-kick from Eremenko past Kello from 12 yards, the Tynecastle side
happy to concede a corner which came to nothing.
The game stumbled along and after Hearts defender Eggert Jonsson
fouled Miguel at the edge of the Gorgie box, Eremenko fired the
free-kick over the bar but he was soon to make amends.
In the 19th minute the Finnish midfielder robbed Ian Black who had
hesitated in possession and fed the ball to Miguel who was quick to
dispatch a low drive from the edge of the box past the diving Kello.
Kilmarnock took immediate confidence from the goal with the silky
Eremenko catching the eye and Manuel Pascali protecting the back four
with impressive determination.
The visitors began to press but showed little in an attacking sense
until the 33rd minute when defender Ismael Bouzid headed Black's
inswinging corner just past the near post.
Stephen Elliott replaced Arvydas Novikovas for the start of the
second half and he went up alongside Obua, who had been isolated in the
first 45 minutes.
The visitors looked as if they had received a typically robust
half-time pep talk from manager Jefferies as they set about the task of
grabbing the equaliser, with Wallace firing in a couple of crosses from
the left which were just too deep.
Killie found themselves pinned inside their own half and in the 58th
minute Wallace made space 25 yards from goal but his left-footed shot
zipped past the far post, moments before Eggert Jonsson drove high over
from a similar distance.
Just after the hour mark Jefferies introduced Stevenson and Gary Glen
for Obua and Black in a bid to get back in to the game. For Killie,
Billy Berntsson came on for Mehdi Taouil.
However, in the 72nd minute Hearts deservedly drew level when Elliott
contorted himself to hook in from 12 yards from Bouzid's cross.
The game opened up and Sammon set up Frazer Wright in a breakaway
with Kello saving the angled drive at the expense of a corner which was
well defended.
Then, as the home side broke again, Eremenko's cross intended for
Sammon was put on to the bar by back-tracking Hearts skipper Marius
Zaliukas.
But in the 86th minute, Elliott took advantage when Killie failed to
clear a Jambos attack and drove past Bell from the edge of the box, the
Killie keeper getting a hand to the ball but failing to stop it reaching
the back of the net.
There was time for Kello to make a great point-blank save from
Pascali before Bell prevented Elliott getting his hat-trick.
19
mins
