Ryan Stevenson admits he and his teammates could not be making harder work of securing third place in the SPL. They looked to have secured the three points against Kilmarnock before Kieran Agard's 86th-minute volley the Rugby Park side a 2-2 draw. The result kept alive the fight for third spot for at least another week. James Fowler's spectacular opener was cancelled out when Rudi Skacel slid home after Cammy Bell had been beaten by an awkward bounce. Stevenson claimed Hearts' second after he challenged with Manuel Pascali to head home a corner from Craig Thomson in the 76th-minute. The late intervention ensured Hearts have won just one out of nine SPL game, but Dundee United's 4-1 defeat at Parkhead today gave them an eight-point lead with just three games left. Stevenson, though, would rather their finish to the season was more emphatic as they look to guarantee a Europa League place.
He said: "If there's a harder way of going about it, I'd be surprised. It's not like we're not playing well. Last week (against Motherwell) was probably the best we have played since the turn of the year. We're 3-0 up and thinking 'that's us' and they managed to claw it back. It was disappointing to go the goal down and to get the goal back was a huge relief. To go ahead we were just looking to get over the finishing line. Again we have shot ourselves in the foot by giving away a sloppy goal in the last five minutes. We have a very hard run in now but we have to take the positives, it's another point and another game knocked off."
Two of the three games left are against the Old Firm before the last-day trip to Tannadice. Natural midfielder Stevenson is looking to continue on the goal trail after hitting three in six games after being moved up front to compensate for injuries to Kevin Kyle and Calum Elliot. He said: "I have always said if I get a run of games I am confident I will score goals and play well. It's been a stop-start season but the manager has shown faith in me by giving me five or six games in a row and I have managed to repay him by scoring a few good goals. It's not my preferred position but I'm enjoying it up there."