Hearts came from behind to earn a draw at Kimarnock on Saturday night.
In a match the Jambos dominated, Jamie McCart’s first-half own goal had given the hosts the lead shortly after Laurent Mendy’s opener had been controversially ruled out by VAR. The boys in maroon’s persistance finally paid off with four minutes remaining, when captain Stephen Kingsley rifled home from close range to ensure a share of the spoils.
Head Coach Wouter Vrancken made three changes from the team that lost to Falkirk in midweek. Kingsley came in to skiper the side in the place of Harry Milne, Christian Borchgrevink replaced Jordi Altena while Tomas Magnusson slotted in for Yan Dhanda.
It looked like Mendy had given Hearts the lead inside 13 minutes. A smart set piece saw Kingsley feed Calvin Miller inside the box, and although his shot was beaten away by Calum Ferrie, the return cross was met by Mendy, who headed down then stabbed the ball goalwards and it was turned into his own net by a Kilmarnock defender. VAR intervened, however, to rule it out for a handball against the midfielder, who they deemed to be the goalscorer.
Two minutes later it was 1-0 to the hosts. A long ball over the top saw Hugill through on goal and McCart slid in to try and make the block but turned the ball beyond Beau Reus to give Killie the lead.
Claudio Braga went close to restoring parity just after the half hour mark. Jamie McCart went bounding into the Killie half before finding the Portuguese inside the box, he twisted and turned away from his man before curling a left-footed effort around Ferrie’s right-hand post.
Braga then showed sensational trickery to get from the touchline to the edge of the Killie box before finding James Wilson, who turned his man but could only fire straight at Ferrie.
Late in the first-half, Miller floated a cross to the back door for Josh McPake to meet but he sent his header over the bar.
By the hour mark, Milne, Ageu, JJ Williams and Sabri Guendouz had all been introduced. Guendouz nearly made an instant impact, bending a long-range shot narrowly wide of Ferrie’s left-hand post.
Williams passed up a great opportunity with ten minutes remaining. He got on the end of fellow sub Sabah Kerjota’s corner, but could only bullet his header over the bar.
Guendouz fired wide through a crowd of bodies late on, and it looked like the equaliser had eluded the Jambos.
But it came with four minutes remaining. Kerjota’s free-kick was headed clear but only as far as the skipper, who rifled low and into the back of the net from six-yards out.
A deserved point in the end for the boys in maroon, who may well feel their dominance was more deserving of all three.
Kilmarnock: Ferrie, Brandon, McCarthy, Ring, Hugill, John-Jules (O’Hara, 77’), Kiltie, Stanger, Lowery (McKenzie, 82’), Schjonning-Larsen, Rice (Tshibola, 67’).
Subs: Armour, Meier, Clescenco, Owen, Burke, Bowie.
Hearts: Reus, Borchgrevink, Kingsley, McCart, Miller (Kerjota, 69’), Braga (Williams, 58’), McPake (Guendouz, 58’), Findlay (Milne, 32’), Wilson, Magnusson (Ageu, 58’), Mendy.
Subs: Fulton, Altena, Dhanda, Mato.
