Kilmarnock defender Ash Taylor takes heart from Tynecastle show after first half shocker

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ash Taylor admits a first-half horror show proved costly for Kilmarnock at Tynecastle. But the big defender believes pride was restored at the weekend with a sweat-soaked second-half show.The Rugby Park men went down 3-1 to Hearts as the Premiership returned following a winter break for the World Cup in Qatar.Derek McInnes’ side were actually pushing for an unlikely equaliser until Lawrence Shankland’s spot-kick sealed the deal for the hosts with a couple of minutes remaining.Killie remain second-bottom of the table on their first season back in the top flight.Taylor, who netted in Edinburgh, knows the team didn’t cover themselves in glory in the opening 45 minutes against the Jambos – but feels wrongs were righted after the break.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The 32-year-old said: “The damage was done in the first half which was very disappointing.

We just couldn’t get to grips with the game.“We were caught in-between but the second half performance was a lot better. It’s just disappointing the penalty was given as I thought we had a bit of momentum going forward.“We know Hearts are a good side and have good players.

When they play like that, with the combinations and stuff, they can be a handful for anyone.“We had a bit of a change of shape and were told to go tighter to our men and be in a position to close them down.