Celtic just two off the top as Hearts slip up against Kilmarnock

Celtic had turned up the heat on the league leaders earlier in the day with a victory over Motherwell, and the Jambos were unable to muster a positive response.

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 - 23:01

Anthony Brown

Hearts' advantage at the top of the William Hill Premiership is down to two points after they lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday night.

Celtic had turned up the heat on the league leaders earlier in the day with a victory over Motherwell, and the Jambos were unable to muster a positive response.

Michael Schjonning-Larsen's first-half goal proved decisive for Killie, who held firm thereafter to move nine points clear of bottom side Livingston and level with 10th-placed St Mirren.

The hosts made four changes to the side that suffered a 5-1 defeat at Falkirk a fortnight previously, with Jamie Brandon, George Stanger, Aaron Tshibola and Liam Polworth all added.

Hearts - with the same XI that started their 1-0 victory over Aberdeen - fashioned an opportunity in the opening minute but Claudio Braga's glancing header from a Blair Spittal cross was clutched by Kelle Roos.

The league leaders had a major let-off in the fifth minute when Findlay Curtis' ferocious shot from the edge of the box deflected on to Alexander Schwolow's left-hand post.

Killie were the more dangerous side in the early stages and they spurned a great chance in the 11th minute when Curtis' cross from the left set up David Watson at the back post but the midfielder got his shot all wrong and Harry Milne was able to clear from just in front of the line.

The warning signs had been there for Hearts and they fell behind in the 17th minute as Greg Kiltie stepped away from Milne on the right and fizzed over a tantalising delivery to the back post, where Schjonning-Larsen nipped in unchecked to notch his first goal for Killie from just inside the six-yard box.

Killie's tails were up and Joe Hugill saw an effort charged down by Jamie McCart in the box as they chased a second.

Hearts started to bring more intensity to their play as the first half wore on and they went close in the 22nd minute when Spittal released Braga on the left and the Portuguese forward saw a powerful low shot beaten away by Kelle Roos.

Tomas Magnusson then stole the ball off Tshibola just inside the Killie half and drove towards the edge of the box before firing a low shot just wide of Roos' right-hand post.

It proved to be Magnusson's last notable involvement as he was forced off shortly afterwards to be replaced by Oisin McEntee after sustaining a head knock.

Killie remained a threat and Hugill saw a shot from edge of the box beaten away by Schwolow.

Hearts sent on Islam Chesnokov in place of Landry Kabore for the start of the second half and the Kazakhstan winger helped force a mistake in the Killie defence that led to Spittal seeing a shot from 20 yards saved by Roos.

The visitors continued to have most of the pressure but struggled to carve out any clear-cut chances as they went down to a fifth league defeat of the campaign,