Easy for five-star Hearts

Three of the goals came before the break in what was largely a one-sided match with visiting keeper Darren Jamieson making a number of good saves as Hearts threatened to run amok.

It was no surprise when the hosts duly opened the scoring on 14 with a well-worked move that ended with Sam Nicholson slipping the ball to Soufian El Hassnaoui who turned superbly on the edge of the box before locating the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The Jambos came close to adding a second in the 29th minute as Alim Ozturk crashed a shot against a post and the alert El Hassnaoui just failed to turn home the rebound.

But they did not have to wait long to double their advantage, after half-an-hour, when Prince Buaben fed Jamie Walker who raced into the box before seeing his shot from a tight angle take a slight deflection and beat keeper Jamieson at his near post.

And Livingston’s chances of mounting any sort of comeback were effectively ended two minutes before the break following a defensive error.

Burton O’Brien, under pressure from Walker, under hit his backpass to Jamieson allowing Osman Sow to seize on the mistake and comfortably sidefoot his team’s third goal of a one-sided first half.

The second half was a more low key affair although Mark Burchill could have reduced the deficit on the hour mark had he been more clinical when through on goal.

However, Hearts continued to control matters and midway through the half Morgaro Gomis fired a 22-yard shot against the bar with Jamieson well beaten.

Jamieson had to be alert to deny Sow adding a fourth goal on 71 when the Swede’s cheeky flick was pushed away for a corner at the keeper’s near post.

Shortly afterwards Jamieson came to Livingston’s rescue again to deny substitute Billy King and the keeper used his chest to block James Keatings who looked certain to score on 78.

Keatings came close again but this time a diving Jamieson stuck out an arm to give away a corner.

Yet Hearts added two more goals in the final five minutes: First, Keatings was finally rewarded for his persistence when he collected Dale Carrick’s assist to crash home from 12 yards, with Sow completing the scoring by converting Callum Paterson’s cross.

The win makes it six in seven starts for Hearts who look well on course to return to the Scottish Premiership at the first attempt.