Hearts survived a nervous ending to hold onto their 2-1 lead over Kilmarnock in their Scottish Cup third round tie at Tynecastle.

The Gorgie side never looked convincing but goals either side of the interval by skipper Steven Pressley and substitute Jamie McAllister seemed to give them a decent enough cushion.

However, a late strike by Killie striker Colin Nish set up an exciting finale but, in the end, the Edinburgh men held on to go into the hat for the fourth round draw.

The visitors may well dwell on what more belief could have done for their cup hopes and Hearts will be glad to have go this tricky tie out of the way.

Both sides had met in the fourth round of the competition last season with the Tynecastle side coming out on top after a replay so there was some added spice to this all-SPL encounter.

The home side made most of the early running and in the fourth minute Edgaras Jankauskas thundered an astonishing left-footed shot from 30 yards which beat Killie keeper Alan Combe but crashed off the post, the rebound falling to Jambos midfielder Rudi Skacel who was ruled offside.

The visitors were restricted to occasional counter-attacks but they looked to carry enough threat to worry the Gorgie men who had something of a disjointed look about them.

In swift break in the 14th minute Killie youngster Steven Naismith scampered down the right leaving Paul Hartley in his wake but when his cut back found Alan Johnston 10 yards out, the former Hearts favourite dragged his shot past the post.

Then Johnston fired a fired a right-footed effort into the side netting from the edge of the Hearts penalty area after leaving Jambos full-back Robbie Neilson flat-footed.

But in the 23rd minute the home side took the lead with the most simplest of goals.

A Neilson throw-in from the right went all the way into the Killie six-yard box and as the visiting defence failed to react, Pressley leapt highest to guide his header in off the far post.

The loss of such an avoidable opening goal infuriated Killie boss Jim Jefferies on the sidelines who watched his team's confidence almost evaporate.

Hearts never really pressed home their advantage although they were not helped by the Main Stand assistant referee who was infuriating the home supporters with some spurious offside decisions.

The first half, which had promised so much in the early stages, petered out.

In the 37th minute Gary Wales was taken off after a challenge by Neilson which appeared to damage his nose, the Killie striker replaced by Paul di Giacomo.

The home side were dealt a blow just two minutes before the interval when Jankauskas limped off to be replaced by Michal Pospisil.

Skacel then fired in a cross-come-shot from wide on the right which nearly crept in at the far post.

Johnston fired high and wide a minute into the second half but referee Alan Freeland decided the Killie midfielder had been fouled the execution of his effort by Julien Brellier.

The Frenchman was booked for his protestations but Garry Hay's curled free-kick from 30 yards was easily saved by Hearts keeper Craig Gordon.

In the 53rd minute Kilmarnock carved the Gorgie defence wide open with the best move of the match but spurned the chance to equalise.

Johnston's ball into Nish was then wonderfully touched first time to Naismith but the Killie youngster was never really balanced and his right-footed shot from 14 yards missed the target from a yard. It deserved more.

The Tynecastle men needed the second goal to ease the nerves but it didn't look like arriving any time soon.

Play was becoming increasingly stretched, as was the home supporters' nerves as their favourites struggled to put the game out of reach of Killie.

On the hour mark Skacel's drive through a ruck of players from 12 yards was parried by Combe before the Killie defence spirited the ball away.

Jambos striker Calum Elliot, who had been quiet throughout, flashed a cross past Combe before he tested the Killie keeper with a turn and shot from 14 yards.

However, in the 75th minute the Jambos eventually got the second goal through a rather unlikely source, substitute McAllister.

The former Livingston player had only been on the pitch six minutes for Mikoliunas when he latched onto an Elliot cut back 12 yards from goal and fired into the roof of the net past the helpless Combe.

The tie looked over but in the 86th minute Nish fired home from close range to set up a nervy ending but it was a case of too little too late for the Ayrshire men.

Teams

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas, Mikoliunas (McAllister 70), Hartley, Brellier, Skacel, Elliot (Berra 90), Jankauskas (Pospisil 44).

Subs Not Used: Banks, MacFarlane.

Booked: Brellier.

Goals: Pressley 24, McAllister 75.

Kilmarnock Combe, Wright, Greer (Murray 74), Ford, Lilley, Fowler, Naismith, Johnston, Hay, Wales (Di Giacomo 38), Nish.

Subs Not Used: Bell, Dodds, Loy.

Booked: Fowler, Nish, Hay.

Goals: Nish 86.

Att: 12,831

Ref: A Freeland (Scotland).