Heart of Midlothian 0-4 Kilmarnock

Kris Boyd scored for the fourth game in a row as his brace helped Kilmarnock beat a sorry Hearts side at Tynecastle.

Boyd produced a downward header to score the first from winger Chris Johnston's cross.

Johnston doubled Killie's lead by cutting in from the left to curl a beauty into Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald's top corner.

The two goalscorers then combined as Johnston's dummy allowed Boyd to rifle in before Rory McKenzie added a fourth.

It was April 2012 when Kilmarnock last scored four goals in a competitive match.

This victory, their second consecutive win, does not lift them higher than ninth in the Premiership but increases the point gap between themselves and Partick Thistle, Ross County and Hearts.

It looked ominous for the Jambos right from the off.

Rory McKenzie (right) celebrates his first goal of the season for Kilmarnock

Only acrucial intervention by centre-back Danny Wilson stopped Kilmarnock full-back Jeroen Tesselaar's shot from going goalwards.

Boyd had already scored twice against Hearts this season before this match, and a downward header from Johnston's out-swinging cross meant he did so again.

Excellent play by Killie's Jackson Irvine and Michael Gardyne then set up a nice left-foot shot for Boyd, but MacDonald turned it away.

Hearts did eventually muster a chance when Callum Tapping saw his brilliant chipped effort land on the roof of the net.

Boyd led the line well for Killie, attaching himself to young centre-back Brad McKay, trying to capitalise on his inexperience.

Hearts moved forward again through Jamie Walker on the right-hand side, who cut in and shot, but Killie goalkeeper Craig Samson was equal to it.

The 19-year-old Kilmarnock winger Johnston then showed how it should be done, coming in from the left and firing the ball into the top right corner - his fourth goal in five games.

A clever step-over from Johnston allowed Boyd to rifle in his second goal of the game soon after the break

And the former Rangers striker Boyd should have had a hat-trick chance but was leaning back when he shot and the ball sailed over.

Late on, McKenzie netted in his first goal of the season in-off-the-post to give Allan Johnston's men a handsome victory.