Stephen Kingsley's 85th-minute strike denied Kilmarnock a debut home Scottish Premiership win of the season - but Hearts' search for a first league victory outside Edinburgh since January goes on.
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Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells Premier Sports: "I think the boys put so much into the game and you get to 80-odd minutes and think you can see it out.
"We probably should have dealt with it better for the equaliser but I said to them I can't be too disappointed.
"I'm steadfast in my belief this team will get better and better and the season goes on.
"I thought in the first half we were really hard to break down. Hearts have been on a good run up until midweek. We knew they'd ask us a lot of questions and so the togetherness at that point is really important."
Image source, SNSTom Lowery has signed a contract extension at Kilmarnock until the summer of 2028, with manager Neil McCann predicting "so much more to come" from the midfielder.
The 28-year-old Welshman arrived as a free agent at Rugby Park in July 2025 after a spell with Portsmouth.
He has made 36 appearances for Killie, scoring once.
"I can't speak highly enough of him in terms of his personality in our dressing room, and his character," McCann told club media. "Tom has been a revelation.
"If I think back to when I had just come in, he played at Motherwell and he got sent off, it took him a long time to get back into the team. He never showed anything other than a first-class attitude to get himself back into the team. When he did, he was sensational.
"There's so much more to come from him. Hopefully, as a coaching team we can still develop him. There will have been a lot of people looking at Tom and how he plays the game with admiring eyes, so I'm delighted he's committed his future here.
"It's good for us as a club because it tells me that our best players want to be here, which is brilliant testimonial to what we're trying to do."
Image source, SNSKilmarnock will be without the suspended Djenairo Daniels and injured Robbie Deas (ankle), while on-loan defender MJ Kamson-Kamara is unable to face his parent club.
Hearts trio Ageu, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Finlay Pollock are pushing for a return to the squad following long-term lay-offs, while Tomas Magnusson and Oisin McEntee face late fitness checks.
Craig Halkett (Achilles), Blair Spittal (shin) and Tom Renaud (ankle) are out long-term.
Image source, SNSNeil McCann hopes Kilmarnock's first league win of the season marks a "fresh start" as he urged his side to build on it by beating Hearts.
Kilmarnock eased some of the pressure on McCann on Tuesday night when George Stanger's close-range finish secured a 1-0 victory at struggling Hibernian, their first win in six league games after the frustration of exiting the League Cup to 10-man Aberdeen.
It has given the club a much-needed lift before Saturday's visit of third-placed Hearts.
"We felt the team were capable of getting a result because of performances I feel have been coming and we as a staff feel have been coming, the players as well," manager McCann said.
"We looked a real threat. We had to deal with some incredible adversity coming our way with some of the decisions. We didn't overreact to them. We stayed calm.
"We defended with so much unity, grit and determination to hang on in the face of adversity against a team that got a lift…they pushed us all the way. So normally the three points is very pleasing for us, but as you rightly say, the manner, the performance was just incredible."
McCann fumed over two penalty claims that went unrewarded before Djenairo Daniels was sent off for a second booking in stoppage time, but said the response of his players can carry them forward after a tough start to the campaign.
"I can't speak highly enough of (the players) and how they want to play the game," he added. "But as I said after the game, it's three points only and hopefully it's a fresh start for us and we can build on that tomorrow night."
Kilmarnock have lost all three of their home league games this season, last losing four in a row in the Scottish Premiership in August 2017, and last doing so within a single campaign in May 2015.
Hearts have scored a league-high four goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in the Premiership this season, while Kilmarnock have conceded the most from non-penalty set-pieces (5).
After their 1-0 victory in March, Kilmarnock are looking for back-to-back home wins over Hearts in the league for the first time since March 2014.
Hearts' past six away league games against Kilmarnock have featured just seven goals in total (2 Kilmarnock, 5 Hearts), with at least one side failing to score in all six of those meetings.
Hearts have only won twice in their past 10 away league matches (D2 L6), both coming at rivals Hibernian (2-1 in April, 3-1 in September).
Highlights: Hibs 0-1 Kilmarnock
Hibs lose 1-0 at home to struggling Kilmarnock for a third straight Scottish Premiership defeat, leading to the sacking of head coach David Gray. (Available to UK users only)
Image source, SNSKilmarnock's first league win of the season away to Hibs on Tuesday "relieves a huge amount of pressure" on manager Neil McCann, according to the club's former goalkeeper Cammy Bell.
The Rugby Park side remain bottom of the Premiership after a 1-0 success in Edinburgh.
However, the points provide a badly-needed boost after a shaky start to the season and a hugely disappointing League Cup exit at home to Aberdeen at the weekend.
"It was a huge result," Bell told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. "Just exactly what Neil McCann wanted.
"It's a clean sheet. That's been a problem this season, conceding far too many goals and not allowing themselves the chance to go and take points from games.
"Kilmarnock had to bounce back from the cup defeat. It's been 12 years since they've won at Easter Road and it was a brilliant victory - and one Neil McCann really, really needed.
"When you listen to his comments, you know he believes in his group. He says they haven't been getting the results they deserve for the work they've been putting in.
"They had to defend for periods, but they were really good on the ball as well. They offered a number of attacking threats."
Kilmarnock host Hearts on Saturday evening, looking to complete a capital double which could hoist them up the table before a long international break.
"It was a couple of tough fixtures," added Bell. "They were looking at Hibs and Hearts back-to-back and desperate for a win.
"Now that just relieves a huge amount of pressure on Neil McCann and allows them to go and play Hearts, who've had that disappointment as well (losing away to Falkirk)."
Highlights: Hibs 0-1 Kilmarnock
We asked for your views after Kilmarnock beat Hibs 1-0 at Easter Road for a first league victory of the season.
Here's what some of you said:
Frank: That result may have put the manager's job on hold for the present. It was a scrappy affair, but a well-deserved victory which could have been more. The officials were shocking, two clear penalties which may have been given with other officials who know the laws of the game. Hopefully this will kickstart our season onwards and upwards.
Anna: It's been a long time coming but it's important we got that first win. Who knows if it'll be enough to save Neil McCann from the chop. I feel if we can get points against Hearts before the international break it'll help stabilise his position. The only way for us now is up.
Gary: A win and a clean sheet at last but it should have been so much easier. Lack of composure in the final third is going to harm us this season and lack of strength in depth on the bench is a worry.
Alan: A fantastic performance from Killie, well deserved and should have been a lot more. Credit to the players and manager for turning it around after Saturday's disappointment. How the penalties are not given just sums up Scottish refereeing. Well done, and roll on Saturday.
Robert: Three points and a thoroughly deserved win. Thankfully the missed chances didn't come back to haunt us. Can't believe the referee didn't award two penalties and at least one red card. VAR a waste of money.
Robert: Great win despite the ref and VAR attempts to let Hibs back in. Shockingly bad decision in the second half to deny Killie two penalties and a perfectly good goal.
Image source, SNSKilmarnock head coach Neil McCann: "Sometimes from the outside it's easy to not find positives, because of our points and the goals against us. But hopefully we've found a positive tonight.
"We know as a staff how hard those boys are working. It's difficult when you're conceding goals and not winning games but my God, they kept going tonight. They showed there's a bit of steel in there as well.
"We were asked so many difficult questions tonight. At 2-0 up, it's taken away from us. A stonewall penalty on Joe Hugill, which would have been a red card, we don't get it.
"Our character has been tested. The fans were asking questions and voicing their displeasure at times. But we stood up to it. Nobody can say we didn't deserve it.
"That word 'unity' is a good one to use, it's what we've got in this team. But all we've done is get three points on the board, but I'm very proud."
Kilmarnock finally got their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season, consigning Hibernian to a sixth home league defeat in a row with a hard-fought win at Easter Road.
Sandy Armour
Fan writer
Football managers must tremble with fear when they approach an international break as club owners tend to use the prolonged rest to hire and fire their bosses.
Neil McCann therefore must be shaking in his shoes as a big majority of Killie fans feel his time is up.
Our League Cup exit was embarrassing as we simply had no clue how to break down 10-man Aberdeen.
The manager attempted to change our fortunes throughout, but every switch of formation and every substitution progressively made us worse.
The penalty kick attempts were a disgrace, whatever happened to putting your foot through the ball rather than a tame sidefooted effort?
We have two games before the break but a trip to Easter Road followed by a visit from Hearts doesn't raise my hopes that we are going to get our first three points of the season.
Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine
Image source, SNSHibernian centre-half Grant Hanley returns from injury, while striker Owen Elding is also set for a comeback at home to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Tuesday.
Jordan Obita and Rocky Bushiri remain are on the sidelines.
Kilmarnock are still without centre-back Robbie Deas through injury.
Image source, SNSRory McKenzie (left) watched in horror as Kilmarnock lost the penalty shoot-out
Rory McKenzie "can feel the pain" of fellow Kilmarnock fans, especially as the 32-year-old midfielder fears Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat by Aberdeen "could be the last chance I get" to play at Hampden Park again.
Having held the Dons to a goalless draw in their previous game in the Scottish Premiership, Kilmarnock failed to take advantage of the visitors being reduced to 10 men and exited after a penalty shoot-out.
"I'm a fan, I feel it," McKenzie, who made his debut for the Ayrshire club in 2011, said. "One of the best days I've ever had was going to Hampden. I'm getting on in my career and it could be the last chance I get.
"Believe me, I feel their pain. I know how it feels.
"We won't get a better chance of getting to a semi-final than that. It was on a plate for us, 1-1, man sent off. We just failed to capitalise and didn't play with enough intensity.
"The balls in the box were really easy for Aberdeen to defend what they had. As soon as you get the penalties, it's a lottery, especially with our record, it's a poor record.
"Countless times at this stage of the competition we've not gone through.
"It's just tough to take the way we limped out."
Tuesday's trip to face Hibernian is the start of a run of five matches against teams that finished in the top six of the Premiership last season.
"It's a massive game and we've got a tough run of games," McKenzie added. "We need to start picking up points."
Image source, SNSKilmarnock have conceded 14 goals in five Scottish Premiership games this season; the only sides in the 21st century to concede more at this stage of a top-flight campaign are Motherwell in 2005-06 (15), Gretna in 2007-08 (15), and Dundee United in 2022-23 (18).
Kilmarnock have failed to score in their past three league games, last going longer without a goal in the Scottish Premiership in February 2021 (five in a row).
Hibernian have lost five successive home games in the top flight for the first time since August 2010. The last side to lose six consecutive Scottish Premiership home matches were Dundee from February to May 2019.
Kilmarnock have only won one of their past 17 Scottish Premiership meetings with Hibernian (D6 L10), a 1-0 triumph in November 2022 under Derek McInnes.
Hibernian are unbeaten in 13 Scottish Premiership home games against Kilmarnock since a 1-0 defeat in May 2014.
Kilmarnock fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's League Cup quarter-final defeat to Aberdeen on penalties.
Here's what some of you said:
James: Killie got what they deserved. A man advantage and didn't show any urgency to win in normal or extra time. They look scared to put ball in box or shoot from distance. As for penalties, three were a joke.
Thomas: Simply not good enough. The Neil McCann "bounce " is gone. Time for a change off and on the pitch. We need strong midfielders and a manager the players will play for. Penalty fiasco says it all. Deeply disappointing and future looks very bleak.
Stephen: The lowest point so far in a season of abysmal performances. Failing to beat a struggling Aberdeen team despite having a man advantage for over an hour is frankly unforgivable. Instead of applying pressure, McCann's substitutions actually made us more passive, allowing Aberdeen's ten men to dominate. In isolation this result and performance would have been bad enough, but in the context of how our season has gone it makes you wonder why McCann should be allowed to continue.
Kenny: Getting really sick of Neil McCann. Aberdeen deserved to go through. That was three of the worst penalties I have seen at Rugby Park, Neil McCann will be gone by Halloween.
Scott: Everyone connected with the club should be embarrassed by that performance. Not being able to beat a team that had 10 men for over an hour is unacceptable and very alarming for the league going forward. The less said on the penalty shots, the better.
James M: I don't know where to start. Playing for an hour against 10 men we were terrible, you could argue we were lucky to get to penalties. The manger's substitutions actually weakened the team and the penalty kicks were embarrassing. Kilmarnock got what they deserved, McCann is on borrowed time.
Aberdeen overcame going down to 10 men to beat Kilmarnock on penalties in a thrilling Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie at Rugby Park.
