Hearts enjoyed back-to-back wins in the SPL after a 2-0 home success over Hamilton Academical.
Obua and Templeton goals earn Jefferies' side the points
Hearts enjoyed back-to-back wins in the SPL as a solid second-half performance secured a 2-0 home success over struggling Hamilton Academical.
Flavio Paixao was made to pay for missing Hamilton's best chance when Hearts took the lead on 64 minutes through David Obua.
And the Jambos made certain of the points with 10 minutes to go when substitute David Templeton capitalised on Brian Easton's error to score the second goal for Jim Jefferies' side.
A fifth-minute Arvydas Novikovas free-kick could have led to an opening goal after Tomas Cerny failed to claim the winger's crossed effort.
Hearts screamed in vain for a penalty in the 13th minute when Elliot went down under pressure from Simon Mensing, who was playing as a makeshift centre-half.
At the other end, Flavio Paixao tried an audacious angled volley which was not too far away.
Captain Marius Zaliukas should have found the target on the half-hour, the defender rising unchallenged to nod over Suso's corner.
There was almost as much goalmouth action in the second minute of the second half as there had been in the whole of the first.
Elliot slipped over trying to convert a ball that had broken to him in the box off an Eggert Jonsson flick-on, and Lee Wallace blasted over on the follow-up.
Hearts then lost winger Suso, who hobbled off to be replaced by the fit-again Templeton.
Templeton took little time to make an impact, forcing David Elebert into a challenge 25 yards out which earned the defender the game's first booking.
And there was almost an opening goal from both sides in the 58th minute.
Hearts were first to go agonisingly close, Thomson's diving header drifting wide after Obua flicked on Novikovas' corner.
Hamilton burst upfield and Marco Paixao fed twin brother Flavio, whose low drive was too close to Marian Kello.
Wallace was getting forward well and drove over again in the 62nd minute before namesake Ryan came on for Elliot.
Change pays off
The change paid off inside two minutes, Stevenson getting himself free down the right before curling in a left-foot cross Obua managed to nod into the far corner of Cerny's net.
Marco Paixao sliced his finish wide after being fed by James McArthur as the visitors tried to respond.
Zaliukas joined Elebert in the book for a late tackle on Flavio Paixao, the resultant free-kick leading to a succession of dangerous Hamilton corners.
With 13 minutes remaining, Kingston replaced Novikovas to a mixture of cheers and jeers from the Hearts fans, while Accies brought on Brian McQueen for Wesolowski.
Obua saw a shot on target blocked before the home side were gifted a second goal by a horrible blunder from Easton.
The defender looked in control underneath Stevenson's long ball but he inexplicably lobbed the advancing Cerny under pressure from Templeton, who won the race to the line to poke home.
Accies threw on Alister Crawford for Marco Paixao before Easton almost atoned for his mistake with an exocet volley that was unlucky to be straight at Kello.
Kingston tried to win over his critics in the final minute with an ambitious 30-yard volley too close to Cerny, while Jonsson was booked for a foul on Flavio Paixao.
Kingston appealed for handball in the box in stoppage-time before blasting another fine strike over the crossbar.
