Hearts FC

Hearts recorded back-to-back wins for the first time since December as they beat Hamilton Accies at Tynecastle.

Marius Zaliukas headed over the visitors’ crossbar during a first half of few chances.

Flavio Paixao was denied the opener by Hearts goalkeeper Marian Kello after the interval.

David Obua headed the home side in front 19 minutes into the second half and David Templeton doubled the lead with his first Hearts goal late on.

The result takes Hearts to within four points of fifth-placed Motherwell while Hamilton remain one point above Scottish Premier League bottom club Falkirk.

A dangerous Suso Santana corner was diverted away from the Hamilton goal by keeper Tomas Cerny in an early Hearts attack.

After Jason Thomson had fired over the Hamilton goal, referee Steve Conroy waved away the home side’s claims for a penalty following Simon Mensing’s challenge on Calum Elliot.

Another Santana corner caused panic in the Hamilton defence as Elliot tried to pounce but the ball was eventually cleared.

The visitors moved to the other end and Flavio Paixao’s dipping volley from a tight angle cleared the far post.

Zaliukas failed to hit the target with a header after connecting with Suso’s corner on the half-hour mark.

Accies then almost caught Hearts out with a swift counter-attack, which ended with Flavio Paixao putting a teasing ball into the box that neither James McArthur nor Marco Paixao could convert.

Hearts made a positive start to the second half and Eggert Jonsson’s cross was flicked on to Lee Wallace, who could not keep his shot down.

The home side continued to press and Thomson headed wide from Arvydas Novikovas’ corner.

Moments later, the Paixao brothers combined to good effect with Marco playing Flavio through for a shot that was blocked by Kello.

Novikovas set up Wallace for another strike at goal and the full-back’s effort just cleared the crossbar.

But Hearts finally made the breakthrough when Ryan Stevenson’s inventive set-up work was rewarded by Obua’s headed finish.

The goal roused Hamilton into action and Alex Neil’s shot was saved by Kello.

An error by Brian Easton led to Hearts’ second as the on-loan Burnley full-back knocked a bouncing ball over his own keeper, allowing Suso’s replacement Templeton to run the ball into the empty net with 10 minutes remaining.

Easton tried to atone for his mistake with a stinging volley that produced another impressive save by Kello.

Laryea Kingston had earlier come on for Novikovas and the Ghanaian came close to getting a third for Hearts with a controlled volley that Cerny palmed away.

With the match in injury time, referee Conroy turned down more penalty appeals after Hearts players claimed David Elebert had handled in the box and Kingston fired another effort over before the end.

Jim Jefferies oversaw his first win since returning as Hearts manager as Steven Pressley began his reign as Falkirk boss with defeat.

Callum Elliot’s cross evaded goalkeeper Robert Olejnik and ended in the net to put Hearts ahead, but David Kucharski’s own goal levelled matters.

Suso Santana regained the lead for Hearts and Ian Black fired a long-range third for the home side.

Pedro Moutinho reduced Falkirk’s deficit but Hearts held on for victory.

The Tynecastle side were eager to end a run of four straight defeats.

And they found themselves in front in the fifth minute as Elliot’s diagonal delivery caught out Olejnik.

Falkirk looked to get an equaliser and striker Carl Finnigan was denied by Marian Kello after the goalkeeper had raced from his line.

Suso had a shot blocked by the Falkirk defence before Ryan Stevenson’s half-volley was claimed at the second attempt by Olejnik.

Arvydas Novikovas put Falkirk under more pressure with a dangerous cross and Tam Scobbie made an important clearance on the goal-line.

The Bairns levelled when Finnigan played Marc Twaddle in for a shot and Kucharski could not get out the way as he diverted the ball past Kello.

Falkirk started the second half brightly and could have gone in front when substitute Enoch Showunmi crossed for Ryan Flynn only for the midfielder to scoop his effort over the crossbar.

Stevenson fired wide before, at the other end, Burton O’Brien’s free-kick drifted just wide of the Hearts goal.

Olejnik was again culpable for Hearts’ second with the keeper failing to deal with Novikovas’ cross before Suso collected the ball and fired home.

And Black made sure of the win on 67 minutes with a powerful long-range drive that clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way in.

Gary Glen fired over the Falkirk bar as Hearts continued to open their opponents up.

Moutinho had earlier replaced Colin Healy and brought Falkirk back into the match with seven minutes remaining.

The forward combined well with Flynn before rifling a shot past Kello.

Falkirk pressed for a late equaliser but could not find a way through the Hearts defence.