HEARTS midfielder Tommi Grönlund insists three points from today’s clash with St Johnstone in Perth will help make up for the disappointment of having a derby victory snatched from their grasp at the weekend.

The Jambos looked to be heading for their first win over Hibs in six outings after Kevin McKenna fired them ahead early in the first half of Saturday’s meeting.

However, Easter Road captain John O’Neil popped up with a last-minute equaliser to earn a point for the visitors and leave the home side gutted at losing a goal so late in the game.

Craig Levein’s side, though, have had little time to feel sorry for themselves with today’s trip to McDiarmid Park providing the ideal opportunity to bounce back from the Tynecastle disappointment.

And a fourth victory in five games is well within Hearts’ grasp, according to Grönlund who admits he loved every minute of his first Edinburgh derby.

"I’ve played in derby matches in Finland and Sweden but that has to be the biggest one I’ve been involved in," he said.

"The atmosphere was unbelievable and the best I have heard at a match. It was a brilliant game to play in, although we were obviously very disappointed to lose such a late goal just when it looked like we were heading for a win.

"It was 100 mile-an-hour stuff in the midfield but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Now though we have to forget about that game and make sure we are focused on the St Johnstone game this afternoon.

"It would be great to get the New Year off to a good start and three points against St Johnstone would help make up for the two we lost on Saturday."

The Tynecastle draw saw a sequence of three straight wins come to an end but the Finnish internationalist hopes that today’s encounter with the Saints can spark another confidence-boosting run.

The Jambos had gone into the derby on the back of an impressive Boxing Day triumph over Dundee United at Tannadice.

Grönlund was staggered by the number of Hearts fans who shook off the excesses of Christmas Day to make the trip to Tayside to cheer on their favourites - and he insists the Gorgie faithful have a key role to play in ensuring there is no hangover from Saturday’s blow.

"The fans were superb that day, pretty much the same as they were during the second half of the previous match with Motherwell when we came from a goal down at half-time.

"I couldn’t believe how many supporters had made the trip to Tannadice. They were tremendous and helped us enormously during that match. I know it is an expensive time of year for them with a lot of matches in a short period of time but hopefully there will be a similar number at the game today.

"They can make such a difference when we are playing away from home and I’d like to think we could repay them with a good result."

Despite the late setback against Hibs, skipper Steven Pressley is confident the team has overcome its poor spell which culminated in the woeful display against Livingston in the Capital in early November.

Since then the Jambos have managed to turn their season around and the Gorgie captain is looking for that resurgence to continue this afternoon, providing they can maintain their form on the road.

"We were all disappointed at coming so close to what would have been a huge victory for us but we are still moving in the right direction," he said.

"The expectation was on us to win on Saturday so that shows just how far we have come over the last few weeks.

"Our home form has been reasonably good but away from home has been disappointing. We put that right, though, with a good display and result at Tannadice and we will be going to Perth with confidence.

"It’s never easy playing St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park and they are fighting for their lives just now at the bottom of the table.

"However, if we have aspirations to catch the teams above us then we have to go to places like that and try to win the game.

"If we continue to show the same application and attitude then we will give ourselves every chance of doing well."

Taken from the Scotsman