Last updated on .From the section Scottish Championship

Hearts eased Livingston aside at Tynecastle to move six points clear of Rangers, who play Hibs on Monday, at the top of the Scottish Championship.

Soufian El Hassnaoui cracked in Hearts' opener from 18 yards, with Jamie Walker's angled drive and an Osman Sow goal putting the Jambos in control.

Livingston's best chance fell to Mark Burchill, who clipped a shot wide.

But Hearts were cruising, with Morgaro Gomis hitting the bar and James Keatings and Sow adding to the scoring.

Livingston went into the match on the back of a 4-0 defeat against Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup.

Their manager John McGlynn, a former Hearts boss, hoped to bring to Edinburgh's west end the form they showed in the first half at Pittodrie but the men in maroon were dominant from the off.

Callum Paterson had advanced from defence for a corner and headed just over Darren Jamieson's bar early on.

Soon after, Sow made a good run down the left and fired a shot across the face of goal that went narrowly wide, then Walker dribbled skilfully and watched his effort be deflected over.

Osman Sow's brace took his Hearts tally to six

Livi were hemmed in and as the quarter-hour mark approached El Hassnaoui drove a low shot into the far corner of the net after turning neatly at the edge of the box.

The Dutch-born Moroccan might have snatched a second but poked wide the rebound from Alim Ozturk's free-kick, which came back off a post.

Walker doubled the hosts' advantage in the 30th minute, slamming a low shot between the near post and a rather sluggish Jamieson after midfielder Burton O'Brien had tried to usher him wide but left the 21-year-old winger too much space for the shot.

O'Brien then inexplicably gifted possession to Sow, who despatched the ball with ease past Jamieson.

Livingston's goalscoring attempts in the first half had been limited to shots by Myles Hippolyte and Gary Glen. After the interval their best chance of pulling one back fell to Burchill, who burst into the box and clipped his shot a foot wide of the far post.

He and Hippolyte made way for Michael McKenna and Daniel Mullen with half an hour to go, while Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson replaced Walker and Sam Nicholson with Dale Carrick and Billy King.

Gomis smashed a left-foot shot off the visitors' crossbar after seizing on a loose ball in midfield and advancing to 22 yards from goal.

As Hearts pushed for a fourth, King's snapshot produced a good save by Jamieson, either side of impressive stops from a clever Osman flick and a powerful drive by substitute Keatings after good work by Buaben down the right.

Livi held firm for the next 25 minutes, thanks to their goalkeeper and improved passing, but were hit by two late goals.

Carrick cut the ball back for Keatings to blast home from 12 yards and Paterson's ideal cross from the right was finished exquisitely by Sow in the 90th minute.