Hearts' mini-revival under Jim Jefferies continued as they made it two wins in a row with a 2-0 SPL victory at home to Hamilton on Sunday. The Jambos managed to avenge their defeat to the Accies in the so-called 'Battle of New Douglas Park' earlier in the season.
Second-half goals from David Obua and substitute David Templeton - courtesy of a horrible Brian Easton blunder - cemented the home side's place in the top six and moved them back to within four points of Motherwell.
Hamilton's only clear-cut chance fell to Flavio Paixao while it was still 0-0 and Sunday's defeat left them just a point clear of rock-bottom Falkirk.
Hearts handed striker Calum Elliot his first start of the season as well as recalling the fit-again Jason Thomson, while Laryea Kingston looked set to make his long-awaited comeback from the bench.
Hamilton welcomed back captain Alex Neil and fellow midfielder James Wesolowski after both recovered from hamstring injuries.
Five players and a masseur were sent off in a game marred by a post-match tunnel brawl when Accies beat Hearts 2-1 in early December.
Today's game was preceded by the news the three Jambos stars fined by the club for their off-field behaviour that day had been let off the hook by an administrative blunder.
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.
Hamilton were flooding the midfield and Hearts were struggling to create from anything other than set plays.
Captain Marius Zaliukas should have found the target from the latest 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.
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.
