Forget the Beast from the East, Kilmarnock were the pests from the west as far as Hearts were concerned. Jamie MacDonald, the resilient Ayrshire side’s goalkeeper, was a major irritant for them when he saved Kyle Lafferty’s last gasp penalty as an enjoyable, keenly fought tussle roared to a fevered conclusion.

In the end, a share of the spoils was about right. Hearts also had their own custodian, Jon McLaughlin, to thank for a couple of crucial saves which thwarted the Kilmarnock advances.

His sprawling block from Jordan Jones’ late header kept the hosts on level terms and seconds later, they rampaged up field and earned a spot-kick after Lafferty was brought down in a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu. Lafferty probably wished he’d stayed down as his timorous low effort was smothered by MacDonald.

Read more: All three of Wednesday's Premiership fixtures called off after heavy snowfall​

“Kyle’s penalty kind of summed up his performance,” conceded Craig Levein, the Hearts manager. “He did some good things, but I thought he was off it a bit. His penalty attempt was quite sloppy and hit with hope rather than any real determination.”

As folk postponed taking a pew prior to kick-off until the last possible minute just in case their posteriors became permanently attached to the seat through the process of cryopreservation, the stadium announcer generated a few more chittering mutters with the meteorological musing that there would be a “wind chill factor of minus-eight.” So just the kind of frosty welcome you’d get in Auld Reekie if you asked for a cup of tea then?

It was the hosts who were caught cold in just the third minute as Kilmarnock forged an early lead. A raking punt up the park should have been dealt with by Christophe Berra but as Eamonn Brophy made a nuisance of himself, the Hearts defender’s weak back header was pounced upon and the battling Irishman poked the ball through the legs of the on-rushing McLaughlin.

That quick-fire breakthrough certainly warmed the cockles of the travelling ranks. There wasn’t much for their counterparts in the home ends to get roused about and a good opportunity from a free-kick on the edge of the box was wasted as Lafferty plonked his curling effort high and wide.

Read more: St Johnstone 1 Rangers 4: Graeme Murty's men make it five wins in a row - and cut Celtic's lead to six points​

It was Kilmarnock who looked the more considered and composed side and Rory McKenzie provoked another jittery moment in the Hearts rearguard when he launched himself at a cross and headed just wide.

At the other end, Lafferty had a pop from distance but it was bread and butter stuff for MacDonald. Meanwhile, his opposite number McLaughlin, who had conjured a string of saves in the weekend loss to Rangers, had to react more instinctively to beat away Brophy’s searing strike. It was a timely intervention as seconds later, Hearts restored parity. Milinkovic’s cross from the left caused menace and Naismith nipped in to head in his first goal in maroon.

Unsurprisingly, Hearts were galvanised and there was a visible upping of the ante. There was almost another goal scored too. Lafferty prodded the ball past MacDonald but as it bounced towards the line Greg Taylor produced a terrific salvage operation and hooked it away to safety at full stretch.

Things had certainly improved for Hearts. The weather hadn’t, however, and the early stages of the second half were accompanied by gusty flurries of the Beast’s opening salvos.

The home side continued to make forward surges and Naismith had a chance on the hour only for his header to flash wide.

Under Clarke’s stewardship, a hallmark of Kilmarnock’s displays has been a sturdy resolve and they remained defiant while carving out a good chance of their own. Stephen O’Donnell scampered down the right and his inviting low ball was met by Lee Erwin but his first time shot was clasped by McLaughlin.

Erwin, a second-half substitute, had another opportunity to make a telling impact later on and he rose to flick a header in on goal but could only put it straight at McLaughlin.

Erwin had made quite an impression and a powerful shot then had to be turned round the post before the late drama ensued

“Nobody could begrudge us a point,” said Clarke. “And I’m pleased to get it. It would have been a sore one if we had conceded from the penalty.”

Hearts: McLaughlin, Hughes, Berra, Lafferty, Milinkovic (Amankwaa 75), Naismith, Cowie (Callachan , Randall, Mitchell (Smith 82), Cochrane, Adao

Kilmarnock: MacDonald, Greer, Broadfoot, Power, McKenzie, Jones, Taylor, Mulumbu, Brophy (Erwin 56), Tshibola (Wilson 90)