Late strike denies Jambos their first win

BARRY ANDERSON
AT McDIARMID PARK
A STOPPAGE-TIME free-kick from Martin Hardie denied Hearts their first victory of the season after David Obua had scored a likely winning goal against a spirited St Johnstone side.
Murray Davidson's header accorded the hosts a half-time advantage but, following Jose Goncalves' equaliser, Obua followed up on Arvydas Novikovas' shot to strike Hearts' second goal. However a pointless foul by substitute David Witteveen on Hardie prompted the midfielder to arc the ball over the wall and into Janos Balogh's goal to secure St Johnston a point.

This was a controversial match with spitting and diving incidents aimed at Hearts players Suso and Christian Nade, however St Johnstone's physical approach as league newcomers was also in evidence as they attempted to match their SPL peers.

The influential Ruben Palazuelos surprisingly found himself relegated to the Hearts substitutes' bench and replaced by Ian Black for this match, while Lee Wallace returned in place of the suspended Marius Zaliukas. There was no place in Hearts' matchday squad for recent loan signing Marius Cinikas. If the visitors sought inspiration for their journey to Perthshire, it could be derived from their efforts three days beforehand when an impassioned display produced a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League play-off. Craig Thomson, the 18-year-old full-back, looked both assured and commanding in that match and rightly retained his place.

St Johnstone, like Hearts, were seeking their first league victory of the campaign, although they had lashed a total of 11 goals during two convincing league cup wins over Stenhousemuir and Arbroath. Davidson headed Stuart McCaffrey's cross wide on five minutes and Filipe Morais might have converted from Collin Samuel's delivery moments later as the hosts emerged from the traps with conviction. Davidson passed up a glaring opportunity on nine minutes, his diving header bouncing narrowly wide of goal following Kenny Deuchar's knockdown from Dave Mackay's cross.

St Johnstone's players accused Hearts' winger Suso of spitting in an altercation with Danny Grainger on 19 minutes, although it was unclear whether the Spaniard aimed at his opponent or the ground. Their grievance was tempered when Davidson converted the opening goal with a perfectly placed header. Samuel fastened on to a loping through ball from defence while Jose Goncalves dithered. The Trinidadian found Chris Millar, who in turn supplied Mackay for a right-sided cross which Davidson leapt to power against the balance of Janos Balogh and into the net.

Samuel's movement and Deuchar's aerial presence proved especially troublesome to Hearts. Wallace and Goncalves were both cautioned for impeding the former, and St Johnstone's general pressing, high-tempo football ensured the disjointed looking visiting defence was frequently on the back foot. Gary Glen angled an effort wide in the closing stages of the first half but St Johnstone deserved their interval advantage.

Hearts appealed for a penalty minutes after the restart when a high ball bounced to strike Samuel's arm. Then came the game's most controversial incident. Graham Gartland failed to deal with Thomson's through ball and Nade found himself one-on-one with Alan Main. The striker fell in attempting to round his opponent and the far side assistant referee, David Watt, instantly raised his flag. However Mike Tumilty cautioned Nade for simulation, much to the chagrin of the Frenchman, Hearts captain Michael Stewart and the visiting support.

Gartland executed a wreckless sliding challenge on Stewart as the match simmered near to boiling point. Glen's withdrawal for Witteveen produced a chorus of jeers from the travelling fans, but Goncalves' powerful header beyond Alan Main was an ideal frustration soother. The Portuguese defender, who has improved gradually under Csaba Laszlo's tutelage, met Thomson's left-sided free-kick for a header which Main knew little about until it nestled in his net.

Balogh threw himself to ground to repel Samuel's 64th-minute effort and then clawed substitute Martin Hardie's header away from his goalmouth. Thereafter Hearts exerted themselves with authority, an upshot of them policing Deuchar and Samuel more attentively. Gartland's header from Morais' free-kick was disallowed for offside, and the visitors promptly charged upfield to score. It was attributed largely to Wallace, who forced himself past several challenges on the left flank to cut the ball back to substitute Novikovas. His first-time attempt brought a one-handed save from Main, but Obua was in position for a convincing finish with his right foot, followed by delirious celebrations behind the goal.

There was still time for a frantic ending as Wallace saved the day by blocking Morais' shot and Balogh parried a ferocious strike from Deuchar. Just as Hearts looked to have secured the points, a needless foul by Witteveen on Hardie allowed the midfielder to curl an equalising free-kick into the corner of the net.

St Johnstone (4-4-2): Main; Mackay, McCaffrey, Gartland, Grainger; Millar, Morris, Davidson, Morais; Deuchar, Samuel. Subs: McLean, Craig, Hardie 66 (for Davidson), Milne 81 (for Samuel), Irvine 55 (for Mackay), Reynolds, May.

Hearts (4-4-1-1): Balogh; C Thomson, Bouzid, Goncalves, Wallace; Suso, Black, Stewart, Obua; Glen; Nade. Subs: Kello, Kucharski, Palazuelos 90 (for Nade), Novikovas 60 (for Suso), J Thomson, Witteveen 59 (for Glen), Smith.

Referee: Mike Tumilty.

Attendance: 5825.

Taken from the Scotsman