Analysis: Kilmarnock shoot themselves in the foot - again - in Hearts defeat

A comedy of errors - and a controversial opener - in focus.

Saturday really couldn’t have gone worse for Kilmarnock.

Defeat at Tynecastle was bad enough, but wins for Ross County and St Johnstone meant they ended the day in the bottom two, with the Perth side closing the gap to seven.

After the match Derek McInnes pointedly talked about the top six as the target - and Killie remain closer to sixth place than 12th - but it was another frustrating defeat in which individual errors proved costly.

Here’s how things went down in Gorgie.

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Killie lined up in a 3-5-2 with Fraser Murray at left wing-back and Calvin Ramsay on the other side, with Corrie Ndaba dropping in at left-back when Hearts had the ball in that now familiar hybrid role.

Though he would only last 45 minutes, having not played for a long time and having picked up a first half booking, we got an early example of what Ramsay might be able to bring to the team.

When he signed we highlighted his ability to both go outside on his right and inside on his left, and he showed that in the opening stages of the game.

After a nice little nutmeg which opened some space for him the Liverpool loanee could arguably have slipped in Marley Watkins but opted to come inside instead, likely looking to get a shot away.

He’s crowded out by the Hearts defence so cuts back onto his right.

At this point he could perhaps have stabbed the ball out to Watkins, though that’s easy to say sitting in front of a laptop.

Eventually the ball does go to the Welshman but it’s arguably just a fraction too late and too far in front of him and Hearts get the block in.

Still, while it’s early days it was encouraging to see that attacking intent from the full-back, who is looking to get his career back on track at Rugby Park.

Sadly he and the defence didn’t cover themselves in glory as Hearts got the opener just a few minutes later.

There’s an argument the goal shouldn’t have stood, which we’ll get to later, but the defending was poor in any case.

With Hearts in possession Ndaba has dropped into left-back and after initially seeing his cross blocked by Robbie Deas, James Wilson manages to swing one in to the back post.

Jorge Grant is arriving from deep and isn’t tracked by anyone.

He badly mishits his shot but both Deas and Ramsay are ball-watching and allow Wilson to make the run in between them.

He also mishits his shot but Lewis Mayo, seeing he’s going for goal, tries to come across for the block and that leaves Elton Kabangu with the freedom of Tynecastle to tap it in.

So, poor defending - but should the goal have been disallowed?