KILLIE really should have had this match won by the end of the opening 45 minutes.
But a combination of poor finishing, good goalkeeping and lack of luck almost cost them in the end, as the visitors pushed in the final few minutes for the winning goal that would have kept alive their hopes of a top six finish.
Jim Jefferies’ side showed only one change from the previous week’s starting line-up at Falkirk, with Gary Locke in midfield in place of youngster Iain Flannigan.
It was obvious early on that Killie were up for the game, with Craig Bryson almost in at the near post to meet a David Fernandez corner with only two minutes gone.
Minutes later, Bryson set up a shooting chance for James Fowler. The midfielder’s low shot was on target, but it wasn’t powerful enough to trouble Hearts keeper Anthony Basso.
The Tynecastle side’s defence looked shaky during that opening spell, and an error by Ibrahim Tall almost let in Danny Invincibile.
And still Killie kept pouring forward looking for an early breakthrough, and it almost came on 16 minutes when Basso produced a good stop near his post to deny Invincibile.
Basso again nine minutes later pulled off another fine save when David Lilley powered in a header from a Fernandez corner.
Then Tim Clancy almost grabbed his first top-team goal when he stole in at the back post, but his effort came back off the upright and Hearts breathed again.
The visitors were getting the runaround, but Killie just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.
The best chance of the half fell to Bryson in 34 minutes after Basso had beaten away a Fernandez shot, but the Killie man scooped the ball over the crossbar from about eight yards.
With the first half just about to end, referee Craig Thomson waved aside strong Killie appeals for a penalty after Bryson appeared to be downed in the box by Jose Goncalves.
Killie’s free-flowing attacks were missing on the restart as both sides struggled to assert their authority in the match, but it was Hearts who almost nicked the opening goal on 54 minutes with their first real opportunity, Christophe Berra heading inches wide from a Laryea Kingston free kick.
And as Killie struggled to recapture the fluency they'd shown in the first half, Christian Nade troubled Alan Combe for the first time, before Fraser Wright put in a terrific block on the follow-up shot.
Mehdi Taouil joined the Killie attack on 76 minutes when he jinked his way into the box, but Basso sprang to his left to push away the Moroccan’s curling effort on goal.
There was little to write home about in the remaining quarter of an hour, except for the sending off of Wright for his second yellow card of the game.
The decision by the referee to punish the Killie man for his challenge on Nade seemed a bit harsh, as Killie had to settle for a share of the points in their second successive 0-0 draw.
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