It is a result which piles on more pressure following Tuesday’s Scottish Cup exit to Highland League side Brora Rangers.
Queen of the South came away with a 3-2 win from Tynecastle aided by some very generous defending from the home side. Mihai Popescu gave the ball away early on for Connor Shields to score, while Andy Irving netted the visitors’ third with an inexplicable own goal.
Hearts had came from 2-0 down to level thanks to goals from Popescu and Armand Gnanduillet but they didn’t show enough to get the three points.
How did the Hearts players rate?
Player ratings scale - 10: One of the best performances you've seen. 9: Outstanding. 8: Very good. 7: Good. 6: Average. 5: Poor, 4: Very poor. 3: A terrible day at the office. 2: Abysmal. 1: One of the worst performances you've seen.
9. Liam Boyce - 7
The team’s best performer. Balance, poise, control, technique. Often crowded out and lacked service inside the box. Photo: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group
10. Gary Mackay-Steven - 4
Outpaced by Wullie Gibson when it looked like he was going to turn on the afterburners down the wing in a promising position. Ineffectual in the No.10 role. A woeful second half effort summed it up. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group
11. Armand Gnanduillet - 6
More effective after half-time but had some difficult balls to deal with. Showed his ability when given the service and will score goals. Photo: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group
12. Jamie Walker - 6
Not much of an impact but nearly scored an audacious overhead kick. Photo: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group