Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

Kilmarnock looked in control of this game right from the start, but it was made much easier just before the break, when Christian Nade committed a very un-Christian act on Frazer Wright. A rush of blood saw the Frenchman raise his hands to the Killie centre-back with the ball long gone, and gave referee Willie Collum no option but to flourish his red card a minute before the break. In fact there was a steady production of cards, fortunately all the others being yellow, throughout this game, with each side picking up four, in what appeared to be no more violent or niggley a game than any other this season.

Before the sending off, Hearts had played five across the middle in answer to Kilmarnock's 4-4-2, and while the home side looked comfortable with it even then, when Hearts had to withdraw one of that five after Nade's departure, Killie ran the game. Anthony Basso had been much the busier keeper from the off, but when Killie's first goal came within 10 minutes of the restart, there was nothing he could do about it.

Garry Hay started the move off down the left, from the left-back position. The skipper, in his first game back after a long lay-off due to injury, was immaculate all afternoon, and looked as if he had never been away. He drove forward, created space, and floated a pin-point ball to Colin Nish. The striker headed it on and Gary Wales took one touch to set himself up, then hit an early drive to give the Hearts keeper no chance.

Willie Gibson and Danny Invincibile had been causing mayhem down their respective wings, and it was the latter who beat his defender, got to the bye-line, and whipped over a cross to the back post. Under pressure from Colin Nish, Robbie Neilson handled the ball in the box, and the penalty was awarded. Colin Nish hung onto the ball as if it were a life-support machine until the fuss had calmed down, put it on the spot and sent the keeper the wrong way to put Killie two ahead. Five minutes later it was three. Basso rolled the ball out to Neilson, Neilson slipped, Willie Gibson nipped in and rolled the ball past the goalie who was still scrambling to get back to his goal.

On 90 minutes Hearts got a consolation goal when Ibrahim Tall rose to a free kick with the defence switched off, and headed past Alan Combe.

Jim Jefferies was delighted with the result, if not that last minute goal, because that completed the first quarter of the season with us in the top six, after all that has happened in the way of injuries. "This was a massive game for us today. It means that we leap-frog Hearts, and we're right back in the mix." He was particularly pleased with Garry Hay's return, who was the manager's man of the match, because of the extra dimension he brings to the team. He is not only always available for a pass, but always uses the ball productively. With previously injured players back in the team, and more to come, Jim was very upbeat, and looking forward to Celtic's visit next week. "It's always a hard game, but if we can get in about them the way we did with Hearts today, and if we believe in ourselves, we can give them a hard game." Remember it's an early kick-off.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Hay, Lilley (O'Leary), Wright, Ford, Nish, Wales (Taouil), Invincibile, Gibson (Skora), Hamill

Hearts:Basso, Neilson, Goncalves, Tall, Berra, Stewart (Jonsson), Zaliukas, Palazuelos, Nade, Makele (Beniusis), Driver

Referee: Willie Collum