Substitute Alexandros Kyziridis‘ dramatic injury-time winner secured Hearts three points against Livingston to nudge them top of the Scottish Premiership.

Lewis Smith gave Livi the advantage after 26 minutes when he skipped past Harry Milne on the right before cutting inside and sending a low shot beyond Zander Clark at the Hearts goalkeeper’s near post.

Claudio Braga had gone closest when his low shot from the right zipped past the far post, but Hearts failed to create anything else for the remainder of the half and appeared to struggle under Livingston’s pressure.

But the forward drew the Edinburgh side level in the opening minutes of the second period. Half-time substitute Kyziridis won the corner for his side and then teed up Braga to head beyond Jerome Prior at his near post.

It looked as though a switch had flicked for Hearts at the break and they applied serious pressure on the Livingston backline.

There was a debut for record signing Ageu, who joined from Santa Clara earlier this week, and the midfielder looked sharp with a few chances, going close from just outside the Livi box as he leathered his strike wide.

And the Brazilian almost set up Hearts’ second. There was a tangle between the midfielder and Prior inside the Livi box and the ball fell sweetly for Braga with the goal gaping but the forward was denied by the upright.

It was Kyziridis who was the hero for Hearts when, deep into injury time, he raced through on goal and sent his low strike beyond Prior to snatch all three points and open his account for the Edinburgh club.

Livingston manager David Martindale: “It’s always difficult to lose late goals. We don’t start the second half well.

“I don’t think there was much in the first half. I don’t think we caused too much trouble offensively, I think we gave Hearts too much possession, maybe too much respect in the second half.”

Match report: Charlotte Cohen

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