Hearts kept their hopes of playing in Europe next season very much alive when they extended their lead in third place in the table to seven points over Dunfermline.

The Tynecastle side enjoyed the best of the chances in the first half and took the lead through Scott Severin just before the break.

Gary Wales doubled the advantage after the interval and there was more misery in store for Dunfermline when Scott Wilson was sent off late in the game and Kevin McKenna snatched a third goal in injury time.

It may only have been the first day of February but this was a game which could go a long way to deciding who will be playing in the UEFA Cup next season.

It was Hearts who seemed the hungrier side early on and they enjoyed the best of the chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Within two minutes Severin had played a long ball through to Gary Wales in the box, who tried to turn and shoot, but the ball was intercepted by Wilson before he could pull the trigger.

Jean Louis Valois was also looking dangerous for the home side and he showed great skill to take the ball past Andrius Skerla with ease before unleashing the shot, but new signing Ged Brannan managed to intercept and clear the ball.

McKenna squandered a great chance to give Hearts the lead when he met Valois' corner at the far post only to nod wide from just a few yards out, before failing to connect with an Alan Maybury cross in front of goal a few minutes later.

However, Maybury provided the opener for Hearts when his cross was met by Severin, who produced a diving header to nod the ball past Pars goalkeeper Derek Stillie.

Hearts wasted no time in trying to add to their lead and could have grabbed their second goal within a minute of the restart.

Wales released McKenna down the left flank before the Canadian supplied the cross for Phil Stamp whose shot from 15 yards was saved by Stillie.

Seconds later Severin could have added to his own tally when the ball broke to his feet from a Valois corner but he fired just over.

Instead it was Wales who doubled the hosts' lead after 50 minutes when he was released by McKenna, staved off the challenge of Wilson and Skerla and slid the ball home.

As the game approached the hour mark, and already two goals down, Dunfermline boss Jimmy Calderwood made a double substitution.

Off went Steven Hampshire and Walker to be replaced by Sean Kilgannon and new signing, Noel Hunt.

Dunfermline were beginning to look more positive and they had a great chance when Hunt squared the ball into the path of the on-rushing Stevie Crawford but his volley was well saved by Teuvo Moilanen.

As the game entered the final 15 minutes, Hearts were still looking for the goal that would kill the match off.

Stamp played the ball out to Valois on the left flank and he curled a shot over.

The Pars almost pulled a goal back through Craig Brewster when the striker bulleted a shot from 12 yards which looked goal-bound but once again Moilanen produced a stunning block.

With seven minutes remaining, the game took a turn for the worse for the Pars when they found themselves down to 10 men. Wilson had already been booked earlier in the game and his challenge on Wales earned him another yellow card, followed by the red.

McKenna had been guilty of missing chances earlier in the game but he finally found the back of the net late in the game when he rammed home from just outside the six-yard box.

Teams

Hearts Moilanen, Maybury, Pressley, Webster, Mahe (McCann 82), MacFarlane, Severin, Stamp, Valois, Wales, McKenna.

Subs Not Used: Gordon, de Vries, Kirk, Boyack.

Booked: McKenna.

Goals: Severin 45, Wales 49, McKenna 90.

Dunfermline Stillie, Scott Wilson, Skerla, Walker (Hunt 57), Dair, Brannan, Nicholson (Dempsey 78), Bullen, Hampshire (Kilgannon 57), Crawford, Brewster.

Subs Not Used: Ruitenbeek, MacPherson.

Sent Off: Scott Wilson (80).

Booked: Scott Wilson, Bullen.

Att: 11,281

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).