Sensational late goals by Paul Hartley and Lee Miller earned battling Hearts a dramatic late win against Livingston in their re-arranged Bank of Scotland Premier League match at Almondvale.

A goal by striker Derek Lilley after 74 minutes gave struggling Livi some hope that they could take themselves away from the bottom of the SPL.

However, a Hartley free-kick from 25 yards with six minutes to go and a Miller header two minutes later turned the game on its head and took the visitors to within one point of fourth-placed Aberdeen.

It was cruel luck on the home side who must have thought they were getting away with three crucial points.

However, despite the game's poor quality, the Gorgie side merited at least a point.

In a tame opening, the first effort on goal came from the home side but midfielder Burton O'Brien's drive from 20 yards out, following a short free-kick from Jason Dair, was deflected safely straight into the arms of Jambos' keeper Craig Gordon.

In the 11th minute, the visitors fashioned their first half-chance of the night when defender Robbie Neilson played in Stephen Simmons at the edge of the Livi penalty area but the midfielder's quickly-taken low drive was comfortably saved by Lions' keeper Roddy McKenzie.

Play was rather scrappy in truth but moments later, at the other end, after Derek Lilley had played in the alert James McPake, the Livi striker fired his angled shot from 16 yards wide of the target.

Jambos skipper Steven Pressley's instructions to his team-mates could be clearly heard echoing around Almondvale, an indication of the lack of inspiration on show from both sides.

In the 26th minute, Gorgie midfielder Neil MacFarlane latched on to a poor clearance from Livi's on-loan playmaker Jamie Hand but his impulsive snap-shot from 25 yards was shockingly executed and the ball sailed high and wide.

Moments later, after Paul Hartley's corner arrived perfectly at his feet 30 yards out, Hearts defender Jamie McAllister blasted his left-footed shot right out of the stadium.

The visiting fans groaned but nearly had the chance to cheer in the 32nd minute when defender Andy Webster got his head to a Neilson cross but his unconvincing header from 12 yards out slipped past the far post.

In the 39th minute, Hartley almost found striker Lee Miller with a through-ball on the break but Dair was in quickly to sweep the ball away from danger.

There was little to suggest the fare on offer was going to improve after the break.

But in the 50th minute the Edinburgh side should have taken the lead after Hartley drove into the Livingston penalty area.

Although the Jambos' midfielder was blocked by a wall of yellow and white shirts, the ball fell kindly to Simmons 16 yards from goal.

However, the Gorgie midfielder sliced his shot well wide of the target, pausing then to look at the pitch in an effort to deflect from his ineptitude.

Moments later, as the visitors took control of the game, Hartley snatched at his shot from 25 yards, driving the ball high and wide.

But the Hearts fans in the 4318 crowd began to jeer their own players as it became clear they were toiling to break the regimented Lions defence down.

In a rare attack by the home side in the 65th minute, O'Brien burst through from the midfield, leaving Joe Hamill in his wake but his poor right-footed shot went wide of Gordon's right hand post.

The double substitution spurred the visitors on for a spell but in the 74th minute, out of the blue, the lacklustre home side sensationally stole into the lead.

Hearts full back Jamie McAllister failed to clear an O'Brien chip into the visitors' penalty area and Lilley swooped to poke his shot past Gordon from 12 yards out.

In the 78th minute, as desperate Hearts pressed for an equaliser, Pressley's header from a Hartley corner was knocked off the line by Dair.

But in the 84th minute the Edinburgh side got back on level terms with a tremendous Hartley free-kick from 25 yards out.

After Livi substitute Craig Easton, on earlier for Attila Kriston, fouled the Jambos midfielder, he picked himself up and curled a lovely shot into the top corner past the flailing McKenzie.

And two minutes later there was even more drama when Miller pounced on a Hamill cross from the right and headed past McKenzie from close range.

Teams:

Livingston McKenzie, Dair, Rubio, Dorado, Bahoken (Stanic 63), Kriston (Easton 73), Hand, Wilson, O'Brien, Lilley, McPake (Horvath 77).

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Brittain, Snodgrass, Vincze.

Booked: Bahoken, Easton.

Goals: Lilley 74.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster (McKenna 72), McAllister, Hamill, Hartley, MacFarlane, Simmons (Ghorridson 67), Wyness (Mikoliunas 67), Miller.

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Stewart, Berra, Elliot.

Booked: Webster.

Goals: Hartley 85, Miller 86.

Att: 4,318

Ref: K Clark (Scotland).