Woeful slide continues for Hearts

Hearts 0
HEARTS clocked up their sixth successive SPL match without a victory as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to St Mirren with a woefully inept performance.

The result means the Jambos are quickly becoming embroiled in a relegation battle, a position unthinkable at the start of the season. Hearts now sit just a point above second bottom in the SPL table with their alarming slump in form showing no sign of abating.

Stephen McGinn was the man who did the damage for the visitors as he capitalised on dreadful Hearts defending in the 17th minute to rifle in an Ian Maxwell cross. That after Hearts had started the tie the brighter of the two sides. But from the minute they fell behind, Hearts fell apart as they played out the remainder of the clash in a disjointed fashion with little sign of fight or spirit.

Even before the Buddies took the lead, all Chris Smith had to contend with was a weak Christian Nade effort that was side-footed into his arms from eight yards.

And at the start of the second half when Hearts should have been trying to claw their way back into the match, it was the Paisley side who threatened to extend the advantage. Billy Mehmet was unfortunate to see a 20-yard curling effort float just wide of the far post with Steve Banks struggling to get across his line before the Englishman then had to look alert to deny firstly McGinn then Mehmet again.

Hearts did ask questions of St Mirren occasionally and on the hour mark, substitute Michal Pospisil – on for the hugely ineffectual Nade – was unlucky to see his header from an Andy Driver corner tipped over by Smith.

As the minutes ticked by, however, Hearts became more and more desperate pumping speculative long balls into the St Mirren half which rarely troubled their opponents.

In the end St Mirren thoroughly deserved the three points and the Hearts fans who greeted the full-time whistle with a chorus of boos will be left wondering where now for their struggling side.

Hearts: Banks, Driver, Nade (Pospisil, 60), Berra, Jonsson (Mikoliunas, 49), Ivaskevicius (Stewart, 49), Velicka, Palazuelos, Wallace, Tall, Neilson. Subs not used: Basso, Elliot, Goncalves, Zaliukas.

St Mirren: Smith, Vanzanten, Reid, Mason, Potter, Mehmet, Kean (Corcoran, 90), Burke (Murray, 66), Maxwell, Miranda, McGinn. Subs not used: Howard, Brady, Dargo, Molloy, McCay.

Attendance: 16,476

Referee: Iain Brines

Taken from the Scotsman