Alan Cochrane @ Tynecastle

Gary Locke was wearing the captain's armband as he led the team out to first foot Hearts at Tynecastle today, but for 60 seconds, thoughts of football were put aside as everyone in the ground took part in a standing ovation in memory of Motherwell skipper Phil O'Donnell, who was laid to rest yesterday.

And whether it was connected or not, the first half hour was strangely subdued in what was such an important game for both teams. It was technically competent, but there was a lack of fire in the belly, a slowness of tempo, that should not have been the case for two sides in such parlous circumstances at the wrong end of the league. The exception to that was Calum Elliot, who was continually berating his team-mates and urging them on. He unfortunately went too far in his enthusiasm, firstly by hacking Danny Invincibile down in retribution when referee John Underhill didn't give a foul he thought he should have, and then recklessly up-ending Tim Clancy in the Killie box. Two yellows made a red, and Elliot was back in the dressing room after 35 minutes, continuing Hearts' recent poor disciplinary record.

On the actual football side, Nish and Invincibile both had shots which whistled over, and Banks made a good stop from a Hamill drive, while at the other end, Alan Combe had to tip a Ksanavicius shot over, and did well to block a low effort from Cesnauskis. Right on the break Killie took the lead with a great goal when Jamie Hamill whipped in a vicious low cross behind the Hearts defence, and Paul Di Giacomo raced in to volley the ball into the net from close range. At that point it was just reward for the attacking formation Killie had set up, with Danny Invincibile and Paul Di Giacomo playing up front, and Colin Nish in the hole just behind them, while new signing Martin Corrigan started at centre back with Simon Ford, but soon drifted across to right back as Jamie Hamill pushed further and further down the right wing.

Hearts upped the tempo after the break, and the old adage of it being harder to play against 10 men was once again proved. The crowd got behind them, the men in maroon got their tails up, and Killie could not hold onto the ball. Every clearance was picked up by the Hearts defence, and the siege continued. Saulius Mikoliunas replaced Ksanavicius and caused mayhem down the right flank, but when the equaliser came, and it was deserved, it came from a corner on the left. The ball was lifted high beyond the back post, headed back across, and Velicka was able to bundle the ball across the line. Once again, Kilmarnock's injury hit defence could not deal with a high set-piece ball.

Hearts dominated the second half, but in the last 10 minutes, Killie came back into it, and had three great chances to nick all three points at the end. Colin Nish just failed to connect with another lancing Hamill cross, Willie Gibson shot over when he could have gone in closer, and Danny Invincibile shot wide after a great through ball from Hay split the Hearts defence wide open. Jim Jefferies was disappointed at the end that we hadn't made more of our numerical advantage, but admitted that before the game, he would have taken a point.

Hearts: Banks, Berra, Palazuelos, Velicka (Nade), Neilson, Karipidis, Jonsson, Eliot, Goncalves, Cesnauskis (Pospisil), Ksanavicius (Mikoliunas)

Kilmarnock: Combe, Hay, Fowler, Ford, Locke (Johnston), Nish, Invincibile, Di Giacomo (Gibson), Hamill, Clancy, Corrigan

Referee: John Underhill