St Mirren were defeated at Tynecastle by league leaders Hearts.
Hearts played the majority of the game with 10 men after Beni Baningime’s first-half red card, but scored twice in the second half to inflict a fourth defeat in a row on St Mirren who remain in 10th in the William Hill Premiership.
The Buddies were undefeated against Hearts this season and were looking for their first win at Tynecastle since 2023 after losing their last three matches in Gorgie.
Stephen Robinson made three changes from the weekend defeat to Falkirk. Shamal George and Killian Phillips were fit to start, with Alex Gogic made his return from suspension, Oisin Smyth came went straight back into the starting eleven, after getting recalled from Partick Thistle, and Roland Idowu came in for the injured Liam Donnelly, Dan Nlundulu and Fraser Taylor. Liam Donnelly, Mark O’Hara, Jonah Ayunga and Keanu Baccus all missed out through injury.
Hearts got the game underway but it was St Mirren who got the first sight of goal. A quick thrown in on the right-hand side found Conor McMenamin, whose first time strike went over the bar.
A quarter of the way through the first half there was a high challenge from Baningime on Idowu. Clancy initially gave a yellow card but after a VAR check Baningime was given his marching orders, leaving Hearts to play with 10 men for the second game in a row.
Moments later the Buddies thought that they had taken the lead. Devlin was caught on the ball, after being surrounded by St Mirren players. The ball found its way to Idowu just inside the box on the left-hand side and his curling effort went into the back of the net before being given as offside.
Hearts responded with two great chances. The first being after a skilful run from Kyziridis found Milne on the left-hand side. His low cross was put wide by Braga. The second came in the very next attack after a huge clearance from Steinwender, Richard King lost track of the ball. Braga pounced on the mistake but smashed the ball over George’s goal.
St Mirren again had the ball in the back of the net but was again given as offside. After a sliced Gogic shot found its way to Idowu, his shot was saved by Gordon but ricocheted off Milne into the Hearts goal. The goal was chopped off after Idowu was in an offside position.
The hosts should have taken the lead right on the stroke of half time. Lawrence Shankland put pressure on King with his clearance hitting off the Hearts striker into the hands of George. George rolled it out to Smyth, who got the ball taken off him at the top of the box by Kyziridis. The Hearts winger then couldn’t get the ball past George, with Braga’s shot then being deflected for a corner to end the half.
The second half started out scrappy, with Hearts getting the first chance 10 minutes in. A positive run from Milne on the left-hand side found Kyziridis whose shot was deflected for a corner.
Hearts kept up the pressure after a low driven cross from Braga found Shankland. His shot was unable to get past George in goal, who rushed out making a big save.
The Saints then made a double substitution with Nlundulu and Malik Dijksteel coming on for Smyth and Conor McMenamin.
The hosts’ pressure paid off on the hour mark courtesy of a Shankland goal. Spittal nicked the ball of Dijksteel with his low cross finding Shankland, who slotted the ball past George.
St Mirren looked to respond quickly, with a John corner being headed just over from Gogic and Phillips hitting the side netting moments later. King was then replaced by Campbell.
Hearts responded with a triple change with Braga, Kyziridis and Spittal being replaced by Kabore, Magnusson and McCart.
A ball over the top from Campbell found John on the right-hand side, his deep cross found Dijksteel with the header hitting the side netting. Kent then came on to replace Shankland for the hosts.
The Jambos, after absorbing a lot of pressure, went on the attack with Kabore. He found Milne with his shot being parried away by George. Magnusson was quickest off the mark as he headed in to double the hosts’ lead. Richardson was then brought on for Fraser for St Mirren.
St Mirren were pushing to get a goal back, with Idowu hitting the post from a cross. Altena then came on to replace an injured Devlin for Hearts.
The Buddies came close to a goal, John picked out Phillips, with his powerful shot being saved by Gordon, just before the ref blew for full time.
Full-Time: Hearts 2-0 St Mirren
St Mirren: George, Fraser (c) (Richardson 81), King (Campbell 66), Freckleton, McMenamin (Dijksteel 57), Phillips, Smyth (Nlundulu 57), Gogic, John, Idowu, Mandron
Subs: Mullen, Sobowale, Tanser, Taylor, Mooney
Hearts: Gordon, Findlay, Halkett, Steinwender, Milne, Devlin (Altena 90), Baningime, Spittal (McCart 68), Kyziridis (Magnusson 68), Braga (Kabore 68), Shankland (Kent 74)
Subs: Fulton, Kabangu, Kertoja, Chesnokov
Referee: Kevin Clancy
VAR: Steven McLean
