Hearts 2 - 1 St Mirren

While Hearts' profligacy in front of goal was the focus of Csaba Laszlo's ire on Saturday, it is entirely understandable that the club's fans remain more troubled by developments at the other end of the park.

"Don't ask me about Steven Banks," was how the normally engaging Hearts coach dealt with the latest drama in the Tynecastle soap opera at his post-match press conference.

This a day after he had attempted to suggest the club's new youth team goalkeeping coach was "happy" to have been dropped, retired and demoted within the space of a week.
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It was regrettable that Banks' treatment, and its implications, grabbed the focus on Saturday from a match in which there was much to admire.

Ironically, one of the highlights was a goalkeeping masterclass from St Mirren's Mark Howard, later lauded as "man of the match by a country mile" by Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager. Just as impressive was Jamie Mole's opening goal.

Hearts deserved their win, too, although the complexion of the match was significantly altered after 25 minutes when St Mirren's Tonet Guerao received a second yellow card for an innocuous-looking foul on Michael Stewart.

At 1-0 down, MacPherson explained later that his half-time message to his players had been to "hang in there", with the assumption that a chance to equalise would eventually fall their way. So it proved. With 20 minutes remaining, the visitors restored parity, Billy Mehmet eluding a static Hearts defence to beat the stranded Marian Kello from all of two yards.

By his manager's own admission, the Lithuanian cut a nervous figure on his debut appearance and it said everything for the uncertainty over his position that Laszlo suggested Janos Balogh will become his fourth No.1 in as many games against Airdrie United on Wednesday.

At least Hearts go into that match on the back of a second home win. The decisive goal within four minutes of St Mirren's equaliser when Andrew Driver lured Franco Miranda into a rash challenge, winning a penalty that Stewart side-footed low to Howard's left.

The former Manchester United midfielder had the chance of another from the spot in injury time, but Howard got across to make the save.

Taken from the Herald