Hearts ended their season by losing today 2-1 to second place Celtic. The inability to gain any kind of traction in the final five-game stretch of the season leaves the Tynecastle side five points shy of fifth place. Even more embarrassingly, Hearts will finish the season with a lower point total than Hamilton Academical, though the post-season split keeps Hearts technically above the Accies. In today’s game it was Robbie Keane (pictured) and Zheng Zhi who did in Hearts with the latter’s goal coming from a fine volley for the Chinese international on the hour mark.

Keane scored to open things from a pass from Aiden McGeady in the 23rd minute. Marius Žaliūkas equalized for Hearts on 36 minutes when he nicked a Craig Thomson cross into the goal. David Obua nearly gave the Jambos the lead just moments later but that chance was for nought and the score remained even through half-time. Only Zhi’s volley broke the score deadlock, though the Hoops were certainly the better side.

Instead of repeating their fine 2008/09 season, Hearts regressed significantly this season. The club sacked manager Csaba László and brought in former manager Jim Jefferies to finish out this campaign. Jefferies took over when the club were in fifth place, ten points behind Dundee United. Hearts finish in sixth place officially but with the seventh-best point total. In other words, even though Jefferies has said all the right things and given fans some hope in different stretches, his successes were in the end, no better than László’s before him.

With several big money players on the outs (José Gonçalves, Christian Nadé and Michael Stewart, to name a few) and very little chance of bringing in a quality player during the summer transfer market, this middle of the table position could be a longer-lasting predicament in Edinburgh with third-place finishes like last season coming more as the exception than the rule. It’s difficult to say exactly what Hearts’ chances will be next season, but one thing is certain, most Jambos supporters will be more than relieved to have this 2009/10 season done and over with.

Though the odds were low, Hearts still had an outside chance of qualifying for the Europa League with two wins to end the season. Instead the Jambos could muster only a nil-nil draw with third place Dundee United at Tynecastle and now cannot finish higher than sixth place. The combination of only one point from their own match and the points shared by Motherwell and Hibernian in their wild 6-6 draw leave Hearts three points adrift of Hibs’ fifth position and four points shy of Motherwell in fourth with just a one game left in the season. Hearts were never likely to qualify for Europe after their 2-0 home loss to the Well but now the dream has officially died.

Nil-nil is not necessarily a strong scoreline, but had this result come earlier in the season, even at Tynecastle, it would not have been frowned upon. Dundee United have been a strong side all year and are well clear for a third place finish. But because of the circumstances, this draw ends up crushing what little hope was left of a measurably successful season.

The home side did have chances, particularly late on with Calum Elliot taking a tumble in the box and Suso and Ryan Stevenson both nearly opening the scoring for the Jambos. Stevenson’s shot in particular had the crowd sensing a goal and victory, yet his half-volley from a Rubén Palazuelos pass slid just an inch past the post, an agonizing symbol of how this season has gone on Gorgie Road.

Now Hearts will finish out the year by hosting suddenly in-form Celtic who have won seven consecutive league games since the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of St. Mirren in late March. Neil Lennon has the Bhoys playing much better, as evidenced by the victory over Rangers at Celtic Park on Tuesday. For Hearts, a loss to the Hoops could actually a leave a top-six side with fewer points than a bottom-six finisher as St. Johnstone are just one point below. That would be utter embarrassment for the Jambos, though it will be exceedingly difficult to find any kind of positive result on Sunday.

Suso (pictured) and David Obua pulled Hearts back from the depths and produced a famous victory in the final Edinburgh derby of 2009/10 as Hearts defeated hated Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road on Saturday. The visitors went down a goal after a soft penalty gave Anthony Stokes a goal on 55 minutes for Hibs. But the fantastic combination of substitutes Suso and Calum Elliot brought Hearts back and saw Obua score the winner just a minute from time.

Skipper Michael Stewart was left out of the line-up against Hearts’ biggest foes which has led to widespread speculation that the out-of-contract midfielder will not return to Tynecastle for 2010/11. Manager Jim Jefferies has a reputation for leaving players out who will not return and Stewart was certainly noticeably absent. Yet Hearts still fought back from both a deficit and an unfair ruling. Jefferies later revealed that his squad were energized by the slight and used that as motivation to get back into the match and perhaps even the season.

Now trailing Hibs by just three points for fifth place and Motherwell by four for fourth place, Hearts have a chance to return to European football. Of course the season concludes with consecutive matches against third place Dundee United and second place Celtic so the road will certainly not be easy. But if Hearts can manage to win both games, there is a very real chance the Jambos could find their way into the Europa League. That unlikely event aside, clawing back to even a fifth place finish would be a strong sign going into next season, regardless of which players decide to remain in Edinburgh.

Heart of Midlothian suffered what will likely prove to be the loss that ended all hope of qualifying against for Europe in a 2-0 disaster defeat to Motherwell at Tynecastle. Teenager Steven Saunders scored his first ever goal and a Marius Žaliūkas own-goal from a John Sutton shot was all the visitors would need to jump into fourth place and stymie Hearts in sixth.

Manager Jim Jefferies had every reason to be disappointed with his club after their performance on Saturday. With the chance to return to Europe still alive, the Jambos needed to win against their competition for the final spots. Instead, Hearts were largely listless and allowed Motherwell to be unrelenting and fashion two goals from set-pieces in the final three minutes of the first half. That deficit proved too much for Hearts to overcome and the distance to fifth place is now six points with Europe now seven points away with just three games left.

The hopes of Europe now rest in the final three game stretch starting with an Edinburgh Derby match with Hibernian at Easter Road this weekend. Hibs have fallen to fifth place and Hearts can move within three points with a win. But even that does not guarantee anything. The Jambos will really need to win each of their last three to have any shot at all of returning to Europe, where by the way, they failed so spectacularly this season.

Hearts played a tough and tight first half against Rangers but were ultimately undone by two goals from the home side and a red card shown to Eggert Jónsson in a 2-0 loss at Ibrox. Kyle Lafferty and Kenny Miller (pictured) scored the goals for ‘Gers as the champions pulled within a single win of winning the Scottish Premier League outright. Meanwhile Hearts remain in sixth place, no closer to fifth place Motherwell and even further behind both third place Dundee United and fourth place Hibernian.

Jónsson’s red card provided the reasoning for the Rangers penalty in the 84th minute as he took Steven Naismith down in the box. The second goal put the Jambos away, though really it was the lack of offensive initiative that provided Hearts with the worst of all possible starts to their post-split finale. Even worse was the behavior in the second half that lead to three yellow cards and a red to go with two more yellows in the first. Hearts are already the most carded club in Scotland and this certainly has not enhanced their reputation.

The Jambos will be happy to have seen the return finally of Ismaël Bouzid to defense as well as Michael Stewart’s return, if only as a substitute. Still, Hearts are in no shape to have players sent off and reduce further the available players in such an injury-plagued season. Without Jónsson next weekend against Motherwell, Jim Jefferies will again have to juggle the line-up in hopes of securing three points that could lead to at least a fifth place finish.

Whether or not Hearts earn a positive result will depend principally on two factors: 1) who recovers in time from injury; and 2) how out of contract players perform. Taking the second point first, manager Jim Jefferies has made it clear that he will be evaluating each and every player over the final five game stretch to see who to keep at Tynecastle and who might be worth trying to re-sign as the offseason nears. Skipper Michael Stewart might return to fitness just before the game at Ibrox on Sunday and his performance and desire will be carefully monitored. Other players like Christian Nadé will also be under the microscope. It’s been made clear both by the gaffer and by defender José Gonçalves that the defender will not return.

On the injury front, Andy Driver’s latest injury will keep him out of this Rangers tie but Ismaël Bouzid and Dawid Kucharksi are looking more likely to return to action for the Jambos. Jonathan Stewart also featured as a sub in a mid-week closed-door match with Falkirk and is getting closer to a return. And as mentioned, Michael Stewart will be a last-minute decision on whether or not he is fit enough to face ‘Gers. Hearts have had 22 different players miss at least one game with an injury this season, a shocking number, quite frankly. Jefferies is planning on reviewing that information and is likely to make major changes in training regimens and in the training room staff. But for now, Hearts just have to hope for good luck in getting enough of their best players fit to see out the rest of this season and potentially make a late run for Europe.

The 2009/10 season is not a lost cause after all. Suso (pictured) scored the game’s only goal as Hearts defeated Kilmarnock at Tynecastle on Saturday and confirmed their place in the top six split. The three points were fully needed as St. Johnstone today won their game, moving them to what would have been equal points had Hearts lost. So now the second season begins with five games left to determine the final standing, three of which the Jambos will get to host at Tynecastle.

Not only was the win an important one in terms of saving a season that several times looked completely lost, but chairman Vladimir Romanov was in attendance to witness the victory. It is being said that Romanov is leaning toward giving manager Jim Jefferies full control of player signings and perhaps even a budget with which to acquire decent talent. At the very least he seems ready to lean away from the total control he has tried to enact over the past few years.

In the shorter term, Hearts will open their final five-game stretch away to champions Rangers on April 18. That will be followed by a home game with Motherwell on April 24, away to Hibs on May 1, home to Dundee United on May 5 and finally home to Celtic on May 9. The good news for the Jambos is that they cannot now finish any lower than sixth, regardless of their performance over the final month of the season. Third place is probably too ambitious, but fourth place (currently held by Hibs) is certainly an attainable goal. It will take wins, not losses and draws, but making up six points over five matches has been done many times before. With the recent struggles of Hibernian, perhaps reaching that final Europa League position is possible. Even if it isn’t though, Hearts can take solace in the fact that despite the disastrous injury and disciplinary issues that have plagued the club, the Jambos are still within striking range of Europe. At the very least this Hearts side has the chance to play spoiler.

Hearts have the opportunity to finish this season in the top six with a result at home tomorrow against Kilmarnock. With a three point advantage over seventh place St. Johnstone, a single point at Tynecastle keeps the Jambos above the waterline and guarantees no worse a finish than sixth. Of course a loss to Killie leaves Hearts’ fate in the hands of those Saints who will face Aberdeen on Sunday.

In addition to the pressure on the club to find a result against Killie, chairman Vladimir Romanov (pictured) will be at Tynecastle to witness the match. In an open letter to the club today he stressed the importance of players who are committed to the cause of the club and not just mercenaries. But tomorrow the Romanov family will want to see anyone, mercenary or not, score goals to keep Hearts in the top group.

Jim Jefferies expects to have Andy Driver, Larry Kingston and Ian Black all fit for the match while Gary Glen will likely miss out with a groin injury. Ismaël Bouzid might also find himself back in the line-up after featuring in the club’s mid-week training match with Motherwell. Still, Jefferies is expected to start David Obua up front, continuing the pattern of the past few games. Certainly it is not the best option for Hearts but it will have to do for this important match.

Ultimately this game will have a lot to say about the transfer market over the summer. Clearly the Romanovs want to bring in talent, particularly up front, but a loss and a bottom-six finish could dissuade youngsters from signing on at Tynecastle when the likes of Dundee United, Hibs and Motherwell come calling. The season is lost in terms of a European position for the Jambos but if they can win tomorrow and keep above the line there is hope out there come the summer months.

The goal was to win both of the last two games before the cut-off point in the SPL. That didn’t happen but Hearts did manage a tough away point at St. Mirren Park today finishing 1-1 with the Buddies. Marius Žaliūkas scored the equalizer for the Jambos after falling behind just before half-time on a Graham Carey free kick. Žaliūkas’ header was vital for Hearts as they now move three points clear of seventh place St. Johnstone and moved within seven of Motherwell who shockingly lost at home to Falkirk.

Jamie MacDonald kept Hearts alive in the first half mostly controlled by the home team. The keeper saved two earlier Carey free kicks before finally allowing the third in on forty-four minutes. Meanwhile Hearts got several good shots off in the first half but could not sufficiently challenge Paul Gallacher. Gary Glen and Ian Black had the best opportunities before the interval. Hearts responded well to the deficit by jumping right back into the match just two minutes after half-time. Andy Driver, starting after illness kept Larry Kingston sidelines, sent a corner that found Suso whose cross was met by the head of Žaliūkas with pace. The goal quieted the crowd at St. Mirren Park and restored balance to the scoreline. Calum Elliot had a fine header in extra-time but Gallacher kept it out and sent each side home with a point.

Ultimately a draw today is a dangerous proposition for Hearts. If St. Johnstone can beat Dundee United on Monday the Saints will jump up to sixth place as their goal differential is already better than that of the Jambos. Winning the final match before the cut-off will be especially important for Hearts if they hope to finish in the top-six. That game will come at Tynecastle a week from today against eleventh place Kilmarnock.