Hearts 0-1 St Mirren

McGinn chested the ball down before firing the opening goal from a difficult angle after 17 minutes.

Billy Mehmet volleyed over as the Buddies threatened to extend their lead after the break and was then denied by a good save from Steve Banks.

Hearts pressed forward, but McGinn had another effort cleared off the line.

McGinn, who scored in this month's draw with Celtic, had been restored to the St Mirren side along with Alan Reid, John Potter, Stewart Kean and Franco Miranda following the 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock.

Banks was back in goals for Hearts with Eduardas Kurskis being suspended, while Michael Stewart had to be content with a place on the bench on his return from a ban.

Ibrahim Tall, Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Christian Nade also returned to the starting line-up after Saturday's defeat by Inverness.

But the visitors created the first chance after just 60 seconds when Kean just failed to touch Reid's teasing cross into the six-yard box. Hearts responded and Nade fired straight at goalkeeper Chris Smith from eight yards after latching on to Christophe Berra's knock down.

The visitors then stormed ahead in the 16th minute courtesy of a clinical finish from McGinn.

Ian Maxwell found space on the left wing, delivered a cross that found the winger at the back post and McGinn controlled it on his chest before drilling a low shot into the net from an acute angle.

Hearts failed to respond, prompting home fans into chants against controversial owner Vladimir Romanov.

St Mirren seemed content to kill the game, holding on to their lead comfortably by half-time.

And the visitors came close to doubling their lead just two minutes after the restart.

A hopeful long ball caused problems for the defensive partnership of Berra and Ibrahim Tall and Mehmet's volley sailed inches wide of the post.

Hearts introduced Stewart and Saulius Mikoliunas in the 50th minute, but it was St Mirren who caused further havoc a minute later.

Tall was helped out by Banks after being out-muscled by Kean inside the box and the shot-stopper made another brilliant save, while on the floor, to deny Mehmet on the follow-up.

There was more cohesion to the hosts' play after the break, but they still struggled to penetrate the visiting defence.

Despite being forced onto the back foot, St Mirren continued to pose problems and McGinn had another effort cleared off the line from Reid's free-kick.

Hearts : Banks, Neilson, Tall, Berra, Wallace, Jonsson, Ivaskevicius, Palazuelos, Driver, Velicka, Nade. Subs: Basso, Elliot, Pospisil, Mikoliunas, Goncalves, Stewart, Zaliukas.

St Mirren : Smith, van Zanten, Maxwell, Potter, Reid, Mason, McGinn, Miranda, Burke, Mehmet, Kean.
Subs: Howard, Murray, Brady, Corcoran, Dargo, Molloy, McCay.

Referee: I Brines

Taken from the BBC