JON Daly admits he wants Hearts to play better football but reckons fans will be delighted with the ‘fight’ on display in Saturday’s win over Kilmarnock.

The interim head coach tasted victory for the first time - and the team won for the first time in eight matches - ahead of this weekend’s trip to face old club Rangers at Ibrox.

Esmael Goncalves’ goal proved the difference at Rugby Park before he was red-carded along with Kirk Broadfoot following a tussle 20 minutes from time.

The Tynecastle outfit are contesting the Portuguese striker’s dismissal but Daly was happy with the other displays of devotion to the cause from his squad.

The Irishman said: “That’s the least we expect from the players. We spoke to them and they know what we want from the players. There will be times when we can play better.

“But the way the results have gone recently, and probably towards the end of last season and over pre-season, you can understand why the players haven’t passed the ball as well as they can or played as well as they can.

This is a massive football club and it gets backed by the fans.

“For them, to see the players putting in that effort and that commitment and that fight, that’s what they want to see.

“They’ll want to see better football, because we’re a big, big football club. But, first and foremost, when your players are working like that, you can’t have any arguments.

“We’re delighted for the fans, who have had a hard time lately.”