Mikoliunas equaliser saves Hearts

But Mikoliunas hit home with just four minutes remaining with a spectacular effort from 20 yards to keep Hearts in the battle for a place in the top six of the SPL table.

Striker Christian Nade missed out as the result of a niggling groin injury so interim head coach Stephen Frail handed Jamie Mole his first start of the season.

Calum Elliot had the first sight of goal for the Jambos when, after stepping away from two defenders, he tried his luck with a long-range effort that flashed just wide of the keeper's left-hand post.

A ball from Ruben Palazuelos a couple of minutes later picked out Elliot again but just as he prepared to whip the ball across goal he was brought down by David van Zanten on the left of the Saints box. Referee Willie Collum rightly pulled it back and awarded the Tynecastle side a free-kick, which Mikoliunas took, but it was headed away before any of the Hearts front men could get a sniff.

The Love Street side almost took the lead with 13 minutes gone – but it was poor defending rather than accuracy from Saints which handed them the chance. It came from a corner, and a poor one at that, from Stephen McGinn which was somehow missed by the Jambos' defence and Ian Maxwell met it only for his effort to be blocked by the body of Christophe Berra.

Hamilton was brought down by Berra in 25 minutes and Saints were awarded a free-kick right on the 18-yard line but Franco Miranda could only fire his effort from the dead ball over the crossbar.

Saints suffered a blow just before the half hour when John Potter took a heavy head knock as Mikoliunas attemped an overhead kick. The Paisley player looked out cold and was stretchered off, to be replaced by Andy Millen.

The home side had to rely on their goalkeeper to keep the scores level though ten minutes before the break when David Barron lost out to Mole and the powerful striker released Driver. The Englishman did nothing wrong, but Smith was equal to his shot and pulled off a brilliant block to concede a corner which came to nothing.

Saints took the lead just before the
hour when a punt up the park from Maxwell caught out Christos Karipidis, who let the ball bounce over him. The was enough for Dargo, who nipped in to head the ball into Jim Hamilton who lashed the ball down off the turf and into the net past a helpless Steve Banks.

Gus MacPherson's side should have doubled their advantage in 69 minutes when Dorman played a neat one-two with Craig Dargo and it looked like his shot would seal the points, but the ball came back off the base of Banks' left-hand post.

And they were made to pay for that miss when Mikoliunas lashed the ball past Chris Smith from 20 yards to earn Hearts a point.

St Mirren: Smith, van Zanten, Mason, Potter, Dorman, Maxwell, Dargo, Hamilton, Miranda, Barron, McGinn.

Hearts: Banks; Wallace, Berra, Karipidis, Neilson; Driver (Cesnauskis 39), Palazuelos, Jonsson, Mikoliunas,; Mole, Elliot.

Referee: Willie Collum

Taken from the Scotsman