Hearts meet Invincibile match

GORDON DARROCH AT RUGBY PARK

Kilmarnock 1 Invincible
Hearts 1 Webster (60)

FOR THE second week running Rugby Park reverberated to the sounds of Down Under after Danny Invincibile showed he is finally living up to his name by plundering his third goal in two matches to rescue a point.

The Australian popped up three minutes before the end of this game to score unchallenged with a header.

It was as much as Kilmarnock deserved from a game in which they refused to be buried, despite going behind to a smart piece of instinctive work by Andy Webster, the defender steering Phil Stamp’s low drive into the net from a corner.

Manager Jim Jefferies was quick to praise his striker afterwards. "He was outstanding today. He caused them all sorts of problems with his movement," he said. "The two goals he got last week and his performance have given him a lot of confidence after struggling back from injury and if he continues that form we’ll be well pleased.

"We’ve been in situations this season where we’ve missed chances and it’s cost us, but it didn’t cost us today and maybe we’ve got over that lean spell."

Invincibile’s strength and tireless running constantly asked questions of a makeshift Hearts defence which featured Christophe Berra making his debut, while Andy Webster assumed the linchpin role in the absence of Steven Pressley, who missed the game with a virus.

The Australian’s assured performance up front threw Hearts’ problems into sharp relief, as the Gorgie side were made to look lightweight in the absence of Mark de Vries.

Kevin McKenna, in particular, will be craving a return to midfield after looking like a mountaineer starved of oxygen as he struggled to find his bearings alongside Andy Kirk.

On the positive side, Webster earned his man-of-the-match award as he lived up to the task of marshalling the Hearts defence, although questions will be asked of how Invincibile found himself unattended to score the equaliser.

Coach Craig Levein expressed frustration afterwards. "To lose from a corner, which we’re usually very, very good at, is definitely disappointing, but that disappointment has no bearing whatsoever on the players’ performance.

"A draw away from home in the SPL is a good result and we’ve got five points from three away games, so when we take stock later on I know I’ll be happy, but at the moment I know I’m disappointed."

Invincibile himself was bubbling with confidence after the match, even venturing hopes of breaking into the Australia squad.

While that milestone may be some way off yet, he shows every sign of being in his element after a career spent mostly in midfield anonymity and a struggle against an injury which arose from a collision with David Lilley - then of Partick Thistle but now at Rugby Park. Invincibile said: "When I came here I had a few pre-season games and I felt fit, but this is the first time since then that I’ve felt that good.

"I set myself a target of double figures at the start of the season, but that’s obviously going to be a wee bit hard now."

Hearts were the first to show their mettle as Phil Stamp supplied a firm cross from the left-hand byline to pick out McKenna, who could only direct a weak header straight into the arms of Meldrum.

Chances were few and far between as Maybury and Webster kept a tight rein on proceedings for Hearts, while for Kilmarnock, Frederic Dindeleux was a commanding figure at the back.

Kilmarnock looked more menacing once Invincibile began to impose himself on the game with a series of foraging runs on the right-hand side, one of which might have created an opening for Garry Hay had Maybury not been alert enough to shepherd the ball behind.

Hearts’ best chance came from the resulting corner as Robert Sloan broke away on the left and delivered an inch- perfect crossfield pass which McKenna blasted over from the edge of the area.

Just before half-time Kilmarnock might have gone ahead when Webster made a rare slip in defence, giving Kris Boyd space to shoot, but the striker fired narrowly over the bar.

Kilmarnock came out in the second half with renewed vigour as Invincibile threatened to unlock the visitors’ defence with a smart turn and cross near the bye-line.

Minutes later the Australian headed down a free-kick into the path of Gary Locke, who rifled a shot just wide of Gordon’s left-hand post.

But it was Hearts who took the lead when a giant throw from Robbie Neilson forced a corner. Sloan floated the ball over to Stamp beyond the far post and the midfielder hit a low drive which Webster reacted to fastest, deflecting the ball past substitute goalkeeper Graeme Smith. Smith, who was forced to come on after half-time when Colin Meldrum injured his hamstring, made amends later when he pulled off a close-range save from Sloan from another corner.

Kris Boyd, who went off with a calf strain, then had the ball in the net from a corner, but the whistle had already gone.

Galvanised by that effort, Killie took the fight to Hearts as Invincibile’s physical presence and Eric Skora’s free-kicks began to stretch the visitors’ defence, but it looked as if Hearts would hold out, until Invincibile’s equaliser.

Hearts: Gordon, Maybury, Webster, Berra, Neilson, Hamill, MacFarlane, Stamp, Sloan (Janczyk 78), Kirk (Weir 78), McKenna. Subs not used: Moilanen, Wyness, Simmons.

Referee: M McCurry. Attendance: 5,297

Taken from the Scotsman