Rudi Skacel and David Templeton scored wonder goals in each half as Hearts continued their excellent form in the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League with a 2-0 win at home to Hamilton.
Skacel opened the scoring on 32 minutes by sending an effort from outside the box on the left wing screaming into the opposite corner of the basement side's net. Templeton added the second in similar style seven minutes after the restart, scoring with an equally impressive strike which went in close to the left-hand post.
Accies were condemned to a fourth straight league loss after Simon Mensing had a late penalty saved by home goalkeeper Marian Kello.
Hearts manager Jim Jefferies stuck with a winning formula by once again naming an unchanged side - hardly surprising as the team had earned successive 2-0 victories to move up to third in the table.
Bottom side Hamilton made three changes from the team which saw a first-half lead overturned as they slumped 3-1 at home to Inverness last Saturday. Defenders Gavin Skelton and Martin Canning were handed starting places, along with midfielder Gary McDonald, while Jon Routledge and Jordan Kirkpatrick dropped to the bench, while teenager David Hopkirk was out of the squad entirely.
Skacel gave Hearts the lead in stunning style just after the half-hour mark - collecting the ball on the left wing and sending a perfect shot from outside the area screaming over Tomas Cerny and into the bottom right corner of the visitors' goal.
Hearts wasted no time in taking control of the second half and doubled their lead in the 52nd minute thanks to an excellent Templeton strike seven minutes after the restart.
Skacel's corner from the left was initially cleared off the line but Hearts regained possession and found Templeton outside the box - from where the winger sent his volley sailing into the left-hand side of the net.
The visitors were handed a lifeline 12 minutes from time when they were awarded a penalty after Ruben Palazuelos was adjudged by referee Iain Brines to have brought down Flavio Paixao.
Mensing stepped up to take the spot-kick but his right-footed kick was confidently saved by Kello, who dived to his left and successfully beat the effort away to extend his record of clean sheets to four games.
Source: PA
