The Ayrshire side made it a difficult afternoon for the league leaders. They got men behind the ball, cut off space and allowed the likes of Mihai Popescu and Craig Halkett to have the ball.
Openings were few and far between but Armand Gnanduillet had a couple of chances, while Andy Halliday also went close, before the Frenchman gave Hearts the lead with a powerful header. Jamie Walker came off the bench once more to have a positive impact and sealed the three point with an excellent finish.
How did the 14 Hearts players involved rate out of ten?
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.
1. Craig Gordon - 6
A quiet outing on his 200th appearance for the club. Had little to do. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group
2. Michael Smith - 8
Was one of the busiest players, certainly in the first half, as Ayr pushed down his side. Was left 2 v 1 at times but Tom Walsh never got the best of him. Not the threat going forward he was v Dundee with his crossing but did create a chance for Gnanduillet with a brilliant pass. Photo: Ross MacDonald - SNS Group
3. Mihai Popescu - 6
Aerially dominant and strong against Moffat. Twice went down easy expecting the foul, while there were a couple of nervy moments in possession. Photo: Ross Parker - SNS Group
4. Craig Halkett - 7
Had little issue with Michael Moffat except for one moment in the first half where he didn’t get enough purchase on a header which put the team in danger. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group