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.
5. Stephen Kingsley - 7
Luke McCowan, one of the better attacking players in the league, didn’t get a sniff against the left-back. Not much of an attacking outlet. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group
6. Andy Halliday - 6
Played three roles within the first hour. Some erratic passing in the first half and missed a really good chance but effort couldn’t be faulted and grew in importance picking up loose balls. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
7. Aaron McEneff - 5
Perhaps his quietest outing in a Hearts jersey. A couple of positive movements in the second half before being subbed. Was having to cover the runs of Reading often. Photo: Craig Foy - SNS Group
8. Andy Irving - 8
Another important performance at the base of the midfield. Constantly built play for Hearts, displaying his range of passing. Defensive work underrated and set up Gnanduillet for the first goal. Photo: Paul Devlin - SNS Group