There were only two fixtures this weekend due to some Scottish Cup commitments. Both games were six-goal thrillers. Hearts losing away at Kilmarnock and a draw as Motherwell travelled to Hibs.

Kris Boyd was the slayer of Hearts at Rugby Park. The striker’s double was the sixth goal he has scored against the Jambos this season. It was Hearts who created the first real chance, Ryan Stevenson saw his effort go just wide as the Jambos attempted to start at a high tempo. Before the opening goal, Killie could have taken the lead. Manuel Pascali’s header was almost finished by fellow defender Lee Ashcroft but Jamie MacDonald in the Hearts goal denied the youngster. The opening strike came courtesy of a Danny Wilson own goal, a slick Killie move down the right with Rory McKenzie, the young winger fired in a low cross which the Hearts skipper diverted into his own net. That goal didn’t discourage Hearts as they levelled just three minutes later. A defensive mix-up between Lee Ashcroft and goalkeeper Samson allowed Sam Nicholson to nip in and lob the ball into an empty net to ensure the scores were level at the break.

Not long into the second half Killie were three goals in front within seven minutes, thanks to two Kris Boyd strikes. The talismanic striker dispossessed Jamie Hamil on the edge of the box, waltzed through the Hearts defence before finishing past MacDonald. His second of the afternoon came not long after. Dylan McGowan failed to deal with the cross and was punished as Boyd walked onto the ball before firing high past the helpless MacDonald.  Hearts pulled one back when substitute Billy King assisted Sam Nicholson as he made it 3-2. The home side’s nerves where settled when Michael Gardyne put Jeroen Tesselaar’s cross into the net 19 minutes from time, after some poor defending from the visitors to give the home side a 4-2 victory.

As Motherwell headed to Easter Road the 3-3 result did nothing to aid their hopes of finishing in second place. The Steelmen raced into a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark. 12 minutes were on the clock before; John Sutton gave the visitors the lead. Great play from McFadden on the right, he played in Lionel Ainsworth whose cross was converted high into the net by the Englishman. Ainsworth then went from provider to scorer, the winger latched onto Iain Vigurs’ pass before producing a sublime finish, curling the ball beyond Williams into the top corner. Hibs managed to cut the arrears before the break, Motherwell’s defence didn’t manage to clear a Hibs corner correctly, Cairney fired a cross in where it was met by the head of Jordan Forster just six yards out.

Hibs came out firing after the restart, and should have been level but Forster missed a great chance from point-black range, only managing to head wide. James Collins also went close for the home side, but his effort only landed in the grasp of Hollis, after his header came back off the post. Hibs’ persistence paid off with 14 minutes to go the big defender’s header was given even though Hollis clawed the ball from behind the line. The home side then took a deserved lead when Heffernan who replaced Haynes, fired them in front. As it looked like the points would be staying in Edinburgh, John Sutton grabbed his second in injury time to make sure Mothewell took a point from the capital.

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