St Johnstone 2 Hearts 0

Sep 26 2011 By Colin Duncan

CHRIS MILLAR has banned Cillian Sheridan from shaving after the striker's lucky moustache helped St Johnstone grab their first home SPL win of the season.

Razor-sharp Sheridan, sporting an Ian Rush-style mouser, helped himself to a stunning double as a pitiful Hearts outfit were put to the sword.

Sheridan opened his account for the campaign in spectacular style, producing two sensational finishes either side of half-time as Saints buried their McDiarmid Park hoodoo at the fifth time of asking.

St Johnstone were fully deserving of the three points against a dispirited and disjointed Hearts team who appeared to run out of ideas quickly against Derek McInnes' well-drilled and organised side.

The victory lifts the Perth men level with Hearts in fourth place on 12 points and Millar, who was the driving force in midfield, has told Sheridan his facial hair just has to stay.

Millar said: "We all travel to training together and I think Cillian's just grown it for a bit of banter.

"Cillian has an off-the-wall sense of humour but it worked for him today.

"I said to him after the game that he will have to keep it on after a performance such as that and two great goals.

"They were both fine finishes and both great balls from Fran Sandaza.

"I felt just before the second, Hearts were coming back into the game but that goal killed it off for us."

Undefeated away from home this term, where they have yet to concede a goal, Millar was delighted Saints were finally able transfer their excellent away form on to home soil.

He said: "It was definitely good to get the monkey off our back.

"We want to make McDiardmid a hard place to come to and hopefully we have started that.

"The league table tells its own story and we have really kicked on since beating Celtic. We are becoming a tough team to play against."

Both teams came into the fixture with a point to prove after suffering crushing League Cup exits in midweek.

Saints were sent packing on their own turf by St Mirren while Hearts suffered the ignominy of losing to Ayr on penalties.

But while boss McInnes resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes, opposite number Paulo Sergio wielded the axe with Danny Grainger and Marius Zaliukas the only survivors from the shambolic display at Somerset Park.

The opening exchanges, played out in front of an eerily quiet crowd of just 2770, were low-key as both sides attempted to gain a foothold in the game.

Hearts' cautious approach combined with Saints' smash and grab style, which is better suited to playing on the road, were cancelling each other out.

It was turgid stuff as defences held firm and any rare efforts on goal were restricted to potshots from outside the penalty area.

Millar was first to try his luck with a raking low drive from 25 yards that flashed a yard wide of Jamie MacDonald's right-hand post.

There were 20 minutes on the clock before we were treated to an effort on target, Liam Craig going close from a set-piece after Andy Webster was booked for hauling back Sandaza.

The midfielder's sweetly struck free-kick thundered through a ruck of bodies and it took an excellent reaction stop from the unsighted MacDonald to keep it out.

Hearts, who had looked comfortable without posing any attacking threat, were now retreating further into their shell and they were duly punished on the half-hour when St Johnstone took the lead with a goal totally out of keeping with what had gone before.

A delightful through ball from Sandaza caught the Jambos rearguard flat-footed and as Webster and Zaliukas appealed for offside Sheridan found himself one-on-one with MacDonald.

The Irishman took a touch to steady himself before drawing the keeper and smashing a stunning strike into the corner of the net from 16 yards.

Saints should have doubled their advantage in the 36th minute when another perfectly weighted pass from Sandaza caused panic between Hearts' two central defenders.

This time Craig was the beneficiary. However, with only MacDonald to beat the midfielder snatched his shot and dragged it inches wide of the target.

Despite being woefully out of sorts Hearts could have been level at the break when Ryan Stevenson was presented with a great opportunity at the back post as he connected with a Grainger corner. But he failed to direct his free header goalwards.

With the going starting to get tough it was hardly a surprise when Webster failed to reappear after the break.

The centre-half has real trouble completing matches these days although his manager insisted this time it was a tactical switch. He was replaced by winger David Templeton.

The change did little to alter the course of a one-sided contest with Saints wrapping up the points in the 55th minute thanks to the deadly combination of Sandaza and Sheridan.

The Spaniard was again the provider, taking out Hearts' entire backline with yet another delicate pass.

There was work still to be done when Sheridan picked up possession on the edge of the box.

But he sped past the advancing MacDonald in the blink of an eye before sliding the ball into the empty net.

Any remote hope Hearts had of staging an unlikely recovery was extinguished 15 minutes from the end when Peter Enckelman produced an amazing one-handed stop to block Stevenson's point-blank header.

PLAYER RATINGS

St Johnstone

Peter Enckelman 6 Virtual spectator butdealt with any bread and butter stuff.

Alan Maybury 6 Never shirked achallenge against his old club.

Liam Craig 6 Should have scored in 36minutes instead of shooting wide.

Kevin Moon 7 Neat and tidythroughout. Willingness to break forward.

Steven Anderson 6 Booked justafter Saints went ahead. Took no chances.

David McCracken 7 Recalled tothe starting line-up and never put a foot wrong.

Chris Millar 7 A greatoutlet for hosts every time he ventured down right.

David Mackay 6Skipper was usual solid self. Refused to try anything flashy.

FranciscoSandaza 7 Set up Sheridan with deft passes for both goals. Best tocome.

Willie Gibson 6 Some nice touches before being replaced byRobertson.

Cillian Sheridan 8 Two-goal hero. Super opener before he secured points.

Subs: David Robertson - did his best to help run down theclock after replacing Gibson, 3. Marcus Haber - on for Sandaza for thelast seven minutes, 2.

HEARTS

Jamie MacDonald 6 Had no chance with Sheridan's first or second.

Jamie Hamill 6 Not his best day. Robbed bySandaza for Saints' second.

Danny Grainger 6 Booed by the home fans ashe faced former team-mates.

Andy Webster 4 Walked tightrope withbooking and stayed in at the break.

Ian Black 5 Didn't get going way hewould have liked in middle of park.

Mehdi Taouil 6 Showed the appetite which others clearly lacked.

Stephen Elliott 5 Willing runnerbut starved of decent service.

David Obua 5 Virtually anonymous by time hewas subbed towards end.

Ryan Stevenson 5 Failed to get into his stridebut not through lack of effort.

Marius Zaliukas 5 Found Saints attackhard to handle.

Adrian Mrowiec 5 Moved to central defenceafter break but could do little.

Subs: David Templeton - on after breakbut to little effect, 3. Gordon Smith - took over from Obua when allwas lost, 2. Scott Robinson - not much he could do towards the end, 2.

Men Who Matter

DEREK McINNES SMILE back onhis face as Saints moved joint fourth with their first home win thisseason. Had his men raring to go and it was clear there was only goingto be on winner. Faith in Sheridan paid off with his match-winningbrace. 7

PAULO SERGIO SAW his side caught short by the early kick-offand they were always playing catch-up. After midweek cup defeat by Ayrthis was another dire display. Went for it throwing on Templeton afterinterval but even that didn't work. 5

VERDICT ONLY one team was at theraces so the eventual outcome was not in any doubt. Hearts' cuphangover hadn't cleared while Saints showed their top-six credentialswhen it mattered most.

Man In Black Not quite a Sunday stroll forStevie O'Reilly but this will be one of his quieter affairs thisseason. Dished out a few bookings here and there but that was more forniggly fouls than anything malicious. 6

Taken from the Daily Record