St Johnstone 1 Hearts 4
Hearts got their league campaign off to a flying start with a 4-1 destruction of St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.

The Tynecastle side posted a warning to the rest of Scottish football with a thoroughly impressive display.

Gary McSwegan put them on the road to victory with a first-half strike before Thomas Flogel made it two after 67 minutes.

Jim Jefferies' side went further in front 12 minutes from time thanks to an own goal from St Johnstone defender Darren Dods.

McSwegan's cross from the left was aimed at Stephane Adam but Dods got in the way and knocked the ball into his own net from four yards.

Colin Cameron grabbed his side's fourth with a curling 12-yard effort two minutes later after good work by McSwegan.

John McQuillan pulled back a consolation goal for Saints after 83 minutes with a low drive past Giles Rousset.

But it mattered little to Hearts who were streets ahead in every department and turned out deserved winners.

It will be a severe confidence blow to Saints, who were hoping to build on their success of last season when they qualified for Europe for the first time in 28 years.

Hearts were determined to ensure they wouldn't be involved in another battle against relegation.

Sandy Clark's side created the first real opportunity within five minutes when McBride's flighted corner picked out Jim Weir but his close range shot sailed well over Gilles Rousset's crossbar.

Miguel Simao was causing the Hearts defence all sorts of problems with his pace and trickery.

After 13 minutes the Portuguese winger broke free wide on the left and only a timely interception from Kevin James cleared the danger.

Jefferies' side were sluggish to begin with and only a Colin Cameron snap-shot from the edge of the area gave the large travelling support something to shout about.

Hearts began to settle and get to grips with the game midway through the first half.

Scott Severin came close with a header from a Darren Jackson cross which flew narrowly over Alan Main's crossbar.

St Johnstone still carried a threat up front and McBride almost set up Simao after 25 minutes but Hearts defender Steven Pressley was on hand to turn the ball away for a corner.

However, on the half-hour mark the Edinburgh side broke the deadlock.

McSwegan left Dods for dead in the box before drilling a left-foot shot low past the diving Main from 12 yards.

Hearts were growing in confidence after their opening goal and looked capable of increasing their lead every time they attacked.

Austrian midfielder Flogel was giving Gary Bollan a torrid time wide on the right and the defender was eventually booked for a lunging tackle.

Such was their dominance, Hearts keeper Rousset was a spectator towards the end of the first half.

Saints had lost the initiative they showed in the early stages, with McBride the only player looking capable of getting them back on level terms but the youngster did not have much support from his team-mates as Saints lacked ideas and penetration.

The second half was all Hearts, and Jefferies will be confident that this season it will be his team who will be challenging for Europe.

Teams

St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Dasovic, Weir, Simao, Grant (McMahon 68), Kane (Griffin 81), Bollan, O'Halloran (O'Neil 60), McBride, Dods.

Subs Not Used: Ferguson, Lauchlan.

Booked: Bollan.

Goals: McQuillan 83.

Hearts: Rousset, Pressley, James, McSwegan (Wales 82), Fulton, Adam (Makel 82), Cameron, Jackson (Carricomdo 82), Murray,Flogel, Severin.

Subs Not Used: Naysmith, McKenzie.

Booked: Cameron.

Goals: McSwegan 30, Flogel 67, Dods 78 og, Cameron 80.

Att: 6,705

Ref: Willie Young (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com