SAINTS FLOPPED BY A SUCKER PUNCH

Oct 1 2007

ST MIRREN......................1 HEARTS...........................3

GUS MacPherson’s Buddies were denied any points at Love Street yesterday after they were hit by a second half sucker punch by the Jambos.

Hearts opened the scoring through Andrew Driver’s low drive five minutes before the break.

But the Tynecastle outfit extended their lead controversially after 56 minutes, when Michael Stewart scored from the penalty spot.

Mark Corcoran reduced the deficit with 15 minutes to go, but substitute Andrius Velicka sealed the points only moments after coming on, sending a good finish beyond Chris Smith with eight minutes to go.

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Saints boss Gus MacPherson made one change to the starting 11 with Franco Miranda, returning from suspension, coming in on the left flank for the injured Alan Reid.

Stephen O’Donnell retained his place in midfield for the second week running, as did Ryan McCay, who occupied the left back position once again.

Midfielder Chris Birchall started his second consecutive game for the Buddies after performing so well in Ayrshire the week before, and up front Billy Mehmet was deployed as the lone striker.

There was a scare for Saints straight from the kick-off when Christian Nade got the better of Will Haining and rounded Chris Smith to send in a low drive from an acute angle, but the home team got back in numbers and the danger was cleared.

Then O’Donnell tried his luck from long range after Miranda fed him possession, but his low right foot shot was well wide of the mark.

Miranda linked with Mehmet in a good position moments later with two defenders bearing down on him.

The Argentine believed one of them had used an arm to dispossess him, but his penalty appeal fell on deaf ears.

At the other end Nade saw a low drive whistle wide of Smith’s right hand post as the visitors searched for the breakthrough.

Miranda, meanwhile, was showing some lovely touches to get the ball moving into good areas, but at this stage Saints were unable to do some real damage in the final third.

After 10 minutes Saints forced a corner on the right, but while Birchall’s resultant cross was poor, possession was recycled and when Gary Mason picked out Birchall again this time his delivery was better, forcing a hurried clearance from the Hearts’ rearguard.

The visitors pressed forward and it took a great intervention tackle from Gary Mason in his own penalty box to deny Michael Stewart a clear shot at goal after he picked up Nade’s diagonal pass.

Hugh Murray took a nudge in the back after 16 minutes and the Buddies won a free-kick 35 yards from goal, but Mehmet’s header from the delivery was easily taken by keeper Anthony Basso.

McCay hoofed a hopeful shot well over the crossbar from distance, before Laryea Kingston tried his luck with a hooked effort from 25 yards, but Smith gathered easily.

After 23 minutes David van Zanten sent a lovely forward pass for Birchall to chase down the right.

The on-loan Coventry star then produced a great driven cross into the danger zone, but O’Donnell was unable to get the connection he needed and get a shot on target.

Then Mehmet headed over Miranda’s free-kick on the left in the first real clear-cut chance from the Buddies.

After 31 minutes good work from Murray and van Zanten forced a corner on the right, but the Jambos defence headed Birchall’s cross to safety.

Saints appeared to have a decent claim for a penalty in the 32nd minute when O’Donnell chased McCay’s great pass and went to ground under Eggert Jonsson’s challenge, but nothing was given by referee John Underhill.

Five minutes before the break Driver put the Jambos into the lead when he picked up Stewart’s corner on the right and sent a low angled drive into the net from 12 yards.

A minute before the break a Birchall corner was only partially cleared and fell to Miranda 22 yards out, but the Argentine lashed at it and the effort sailed well over.

Then Audrius Ksanavicius picked up a caution for persistent fouling with Birchall his latest victim.

From the free-kick that followed, John Potter sent a flying header just wide.

Hearts made a change at the start of the second half, replacing Kasanavicius with Calum Elliot and the first thing the sub did was to send a low drive fractionally wide of Smith’s right hand post.

There was a worry for Saints when Haining picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Stewart Kean after 48 minutes.

As a result, Miranda moved to centre half with O’Donnell covering the left flank.

Potter picked up a caution for a foul after 50 minutes, before a Mehmet cross on the left found the head of Birchall, but his effort came off a defender and bounced out for a corner.

But Hearts won a penalty in the 56th minute when the Jambos picked up a throw-out from Smith and van Zanten was penalised for nudging Stewart to the ground as he tried to press home the advantage. The Hearts man picked himself up to send Smith the wrong way from the spot.

A flurry of bookings followed by a referee who looked increasingly like he was losing his grip on the game.

Mehmet was the next Saints player to be led from the field after he picked up an injury, but the big striker was able to continue.

Hearts should have made it 3-0 when Driver left Murray and van Zanten for dead down the left before crossing for Robbie Neilson in front of goal, but the Paisley-born star missed his connection by inches.

Then Kingston was allowed time and space to get a shot away from 25 yards but the effort went right down keeper Smith's throat.

Mehmet made way for McGinn after 68 minutes as Saints chased the game and Murray and Kean both saw great chances in front of goal denied by either poor luck or poor finishing.

With 15 minutes remaining Saints pulled it back to 2-1 when Birchall’s pinpoint cross from the left found the head of Corcoran and he got beyond the goalkeeper to send home a header from seven yards.

McGinn saw a header flash wide from a Birchall free-kick, this time on the left, and you could sense that Saints could indeed salvage this tie.

But an inspired substitution with eight minutes to go saw Andrius Velicka, who replaced Nade, pick up a Driver pass and he sent a lovely finish beyond Smith at his near post, sealing the points for Hearts.