Heart Of Midlothian 3 Livingston 1

Last updated : 19 March 2005 By Footymad Previewer
Hearts' on-loan striker Lee Miller turned in a fantastic performance to shoot down Livingston.

The Bristol City player curled in a first-half free-kick to put Hearts in front and then made two goals after the break to help the Jambos clinch their first win in three games.

But this game wasn't as one-sided as the score line might suggest and a hinged on a 56th-minute miss from Livingston's Craig Easton.

Half-time substitute Colin McMenamin drilled in a low cross from the right and Easton somehow missed from only four yards. Hearts then scored twice in five minutes to put the game beyond visitors.

Former Hearts keeper Roddy McKenzie showed he was in fine form with an early save to deny Jamie McAllister, but it looked like he had his wall lined up wrongly when Hearts went in front after 22 minutes.

Miller simply curled the ball around the wall from 25 yards and didn't need to generate much space to beat the Livingston keeper.

The Lions were level at half-time thanks to a fine opportunist strike from Jason Dair which left Craig Gordon without any hope.

In an open game Hearts had chances to go back in front before Easton's disastrous miss.

John Robertson's side then went down the park and Miller turned provider with a clever pass to Mark Burchill who had acres of space to volley home from 12 yards.

In 68th minute the game was put beyond Livingston and again it was Miller that caused all the problems with a blistering free-kick from 25 yards.

McKenzie's reactions were fantastic to save the strike but there was nothing he could do when Robbie Neilson followed up to ram home the rebound.

That knocked the stuffing out of Livi as Hearts coasted home to maintain their challenge for European football next season.