Michal Pospisil grabbed a double as Hearts secured a convincing 4-1 win at struggling Dunfermline.

Skipper Steven Pressley opened the scoring for the Jambos, before Pospisil bagged his brace and Rudi Skacel completed the rout with a fine strike in the 81st minute.

Mark Burchill had netted for Dunfermline but the goal proved to be nothing more than scant consolation for a team still in danger of relegation this season.

Hearts head coach Graham Rix had dropped Pospisil from the top team shortly after taking over, but will find it difficult to leave him out now after securing the points at East End Park.

Hearts almost drew first blood when they were handed a free-kick on the edge of the box within seconds of kick-off.

Paul Hartley stepped up for the set-piece and was not too far away when he drilled inches wide of the target.

But Dunfermline came even closer when Greg Ross embarked on a decent run before setting up Andy Tod for a header that whistled just over the crossbar.

Dunfermline could have taken advantage of a goalkeeping blunder when Craig Gordon fumbled at the feet of Burchill but he recovered enough to block the shot, before Pressley hooked the rebound off the line.

Pars goalkeeper Allan McGregor was also called into action to parry a point-blank shot from Skacel.

But he was helpless to deny Hearts the lead in the 28th minute.

A Hartley free-kick into the box broke to Calum Elliot whose intended shot was turned into the net by Pressley from close range.

Elliot may have missed the opportunity to put his name on the scoresheet but found his way into referee Craig Mackay's book for over-exuberant celebrations.

Hearts fans screamed for a penalty shortly after the restart when Saulius Mikoliunas tumbled into the box under the challenge of Noel Hunt.

The Jambos had the ball in the back of the net again anyway in the 54th minute.

Robbie Neilson raced to the by-line before cutting back into the path of Pospisil to bullet home.

Pressley was then booked for tangling with Hunt and there was more bad news in store for Hearts when Dunfermline pulled a goal back.

An Iain Campbell free-kick into the box broke to Burchill, who poked past the Hearts goalkeeper from close range with 58 minutes on the clock.

Ross had the net bulging again for Dunfermline a few minutes later but only after play had already been stopped.

There was no doubt about Hearts' third goal, though. Hartley's free-kick was met by Pospisil, who sent a looping header into the back of the net in the 67th minute.

With just over 15 minutes to go, Nerijus Barasa - the Lithuania international, on loan from Kaunas - was handed his Hearts debut when he replaced Mikoliunas.

If this result was ever in doubt, any chance of a Dunfermline comeback was killed off when Skacel grabbed his 15th goal of the season.

He was released into the box by Julien Brellier and kept his cool to slip the ball under McGregor with nine minutes remaining to seal the win for Hearts.

Skacel was denied a second of the day when his effort smashed off the underside of the crossbar but the points were in the bag by then anyway.

Teams:

Dunfermline McGregor, Shields, Scott Wilson, Tod, Campbell, McCunnie, Ross, Mason, Makel (Tarachulski 46), Burchill, Hunt.

Subs Not Used: Halliwell, Derek Young, Donnelly, Craig Wilson, Zambernardi, Dunn.

Booked: Tarachulski.

Goals: Burchill 58.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas, Mikoliunas (Barasa 74), Hartley, Brellier (Johnson 90), Skacel, Elliot (Thorarinsson 79), Pospisil.

Subs Not Used: Banks, McAllister, Berra, Wallace.

Booked: Elliot, Pressley.

Goals: Pressley 28, Pospisil 54, 67, Skacel 81.

Att: 8,277

Ref: C MacKay (Scotland).