Stephen Kingsley urges Hearts to start taking games ‘by scruff of the neck’

Stephen Kingsley hopes improving Hearts can become more emphatic winners as they bid to assert themselves in the race for Europe.

The Jambos have climbed to fourth in the cinch Premiership after three successive league victories by a one-goal margin.

Hearts have comfortably the best defensive record in the league outside the Old Firm, with six clean sheets and only 12 goals conceded in their 13 matches.

However, Steven Naismith’s side have scored only 13 times, with only three teams, Ross County plus the bottom two of St Johnstone and Livingston, netting less.

“One thing we’ve spoken about, even though we’ve had three good results recently, is that we need to score more goals,” said defender Kingsley.

“We’ve done well defensively and…