A warning that comfortable Hearts cannot become complacent

Slight erosion of Hearts' 13-point advantage as the Premiership's third-best team is nothing to warrant throwing toys out of prams. As such, there was calm and reflective reaction in public following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Ross County. There may have been a different response privately in the dressing room, but the bigger picture shows only two defeats in the last 17 matches for the Edinburgh club.

There are issues to address, unquestionably: Poor defending at both Simon Murray's goals, falling behind in the first half again, plus Hearts have already voiced their views on decisions by match referee Grant Irvine. Defeat in the Highlands allowed Kilmarnock to move fourth and cut that 13-point gap to Hearts down to 11. Feeling comfortable in third clearly cannot be allowed to develop into complacency with Kilmarnock due to visit Tynecastle after international fortnight.

Winger Alan Forrest explained the mindset within the Hearts squad after Saturday's result. "I don't think we can come away from what we've done. What we've done is solid," he pointed out. "You don't just become a bad team over one result. We just need to look at it. No game is easy but it is one we fancied to win. We look at it, reassess it but I don't think we can get too down. We still have a gap [in third]. I know Killie won and they are in fourth spot. I don't think we can get too down and make sure we are ready for Killie.

"You want a win [going into an international break] and it changes everything where the mood is high. Now, because you have got beat, you need to wait a couple of weeks for your next game. It hurts that wee bit more. At the same time, we need to reflect on it and look over the way we played and make sure we are ready for Killie.

"Because we have shown over this period that we've been going to those places and winning, we know we can do it. At the same time, you are not going to win every game. We've already been up there at the start of the season and won so we know we can win it. That's frustration for us because of what we put into the game and maybe deserved something. On another day, we could have got the win."

Errors at both goals left the Hearts defender Toby Sibbick looking dejected. The visitors complained that Stephen Kingsley's strike from a free-kick was unfairly disallowed for offside against Lawrence Shankland - and that the decision ultimately cost them a point given substitute Yutaro Oda scored on 90 minutes. Forrest was keen to emphasise collective responsibility.

"Nobody gets singled out. We've got to defend it better," he said of the opening goal. "I can remember Zander saving and I felt we were in a position to clear it, but it is one where that happens in games and it is about us bouncing back. Then we lose the second goal after half-time and that deflates you. I feel we did have a reaction and huffed and puffed a few times but it wasn't meant to be."

Scoring earlier in the second half would have given Hearts more impetus to get a result. "I think so," agreed Forrest. "We had a few half chances, a few breaks of the ball and feel on another day we score, and dominate the game and it is comfy but it wasn't meant to be. Even at half-time going in 1-0 down, everyone believed we could turn it around. We lose the goal soon after the second and it is a mountain to climb. Again, I still thought we huffed and puffed a bit and on another day you get a result.

"You come away frustrated because we feel as if we've done okay. I think we have played a lot better this season, I don't think it was our worst performance. We were growing into the game and we lose a cheap first goal which wasn't good enough from everyone. It was kind of strange that we lost a couple of goals when we have been more solid in past games. It is one where I don't know if we did enough to win the game but maybe a draw is a fair result. We just need to dust ourselves off and pick ourselves back up for the game after the break."