By Simon Buckland, PA Sport

Lee Makel launched a one-man rescue operation for Hearts to salvage a point with a stunning individual strike against St Johnstone at Tynecastle.

With Saints leading through Allan Preston's 57th minute goal, Makel seized possession, rounded two men, and found the top corner from 25 yards with just 11 minutes remaining.

His goals are few and far between, but when they arrive it is difficult to miss them, this his second for the club following his 35-yard curled effort against Estonians Lantana earlier this term.

Jim Jefferies' side had looked to be missing the genuine creative spark required to extinquish Saints' efforts as Sandy Clark, a former player and later manager at Hearts, was poised for a homecoming to remember.

There would certainly have been recent precedents for an away win, St Johnstone winning 1-0 at Celtic on their most recent travels, while Hearts slipped at home last month to lowly Dundee.

But it was Makel who had the final say in proceedings to ensure a share of the spoils capping a second-half as lively as the first 45 minutes was sterile.

After the midweek Cup Winners' Cup farce in Real Mallorca and the dispute about non-regulation goalposts that UEFA will settle on Thursday, Hearts returned to league duty with a depleted team.

Neil McCann will be out for up to eight weeks because of an ankle injury collected during the 1-1 draw in Spain, while Stevie Fulton was again absent because of a persistent groin strain.

Both were missed despite French international Vincent Guerin stepping straight into the Hearts starting line-up after his controversial switch from Paris St Germain.

The midfielder was banned for 18 months in January after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone, but a civil court cleared Guerin for not taking the substance knowingly.

The French Football Federation remain in dispute with the 32-year-old however and have lodged an appeal against the latest ruling, though accept Guerin can play for Hearts.

Portuguese winger Miguel Simao replaced the injured Gerry McMahon for the visitors and after six minutes his cross was volleyed narrowly wide by George O'Boyle.

In an opening period of few outright chances, Simao again threatened after 22 minutes, but his well-struck shot on the turn was blocked by Stefano Salvatori.

Hearts were clearly leg-weary and the slippery conditions hardly helped matters, but Jim Hamilton, goalscorer in the 2-1 aggregate loss in Mallorca, headed just past the upright on the half-hour.

After 37 minutes, Gary Bollan spurned an opportunity to put St Johnstone ahead dragging his angled drive across the face of goal following a neat lay-off to release him by O'Boyle.

Hearts took off winger Jose Quitongo for the surprise introduction of Spanish trialist Juanjo Carricondo at the start of a second-half which started brightly.

John O'Neil's powerful 25-yard drive soared just over for the visitors, Hearts responding with a Stephane Adam effort wide of the mark.

St Johnstone took the lead after 57 minutes when Gilles Rousset spilled an O'Neil cross, the ball falling kindly for Preston who fired into the roof of the net.

That advantage could and should have been doubled when Simao's skill fed Paul Kane, but his drilled cross was diverted over at the near post by an off-balance O'Boyle.

Hearts were slowly turning their possession into some kind of sustained pressure and David Weir might have done better after 67 minutes with a flicked header from Steven Pressley's freekick.

Former Hibernian defender Darren Dods sent an ambitious 30-yard strike inches past the post to embody the confidence in the St Johnstone ranks, but it was to prove misplaced.

Just as Hearts were looking down and out, Makel's 79th minute goal made it 1-1 after the midfielder rounded two men before scoring from the edge of the area for the points to be shared.

Taken from sportinglife.com