Hearts 2 Saints 0

Rudi Skacel’s pretty sure he’ll be leaving the Jambos in the summer as well.

So both were determined to finish their Gorgie careers on a high. And by helping beat St Johnstone they ensured the perfect parting gift.

Goals from Skacel and Andy Webster took them above Steve Lomas’ Saints in the SPL.

European football is now assured if they match the Perth club’s result next Sunday.

And then there will be the small matter of a Scottish Cup final to prepare for.

You could see what it meant to both Black and Skacel.

The Czech threw his shirt into the crowd as he did a lap of honour after the game. Black embraced boss Sergio on the touchline. And no one could claim the men in maroon didn’t deserve the three points.

Saints could still overtake Hearts if they beat Rangers and the Jambos fail to win against Celtic.

But here they looked like they had run out of gas.

Sergio handed Scotland Under-21 keeper Mark Ridgers his first Jambos start as Jamie MacDonald missed out because of illness.

And it was Hearts who made the better start, taking the game to Saints right away.

Only a well-timed challenge from Dave Mackay stopped Andrew Driver from turning home a Stephen Elliott cross in the first minute.

The winger went close again five minutes later when he got in behind the visitors’ defence.

And keeper Alan Mannus had to get down sharply to hold his deflected cross.

Saints responded with a Jody Morris effort that flashed wide of Ridgers’ right hand post.

But Driver was causing the Saints defence to panic every time he got on the ball.

And Liam Craig was rightly booked for hauling him down in the 13th minute.

Ridgers, however, was enduring a nervy first start for the Tynecastle club.

The keeper came to collect a Morris cross in the 18th minute but got nowhere near it and Cillian Sheridan’s header landed just wide of his post.

At the other end Ryan McGowan sent a looping header over from a Black corner. And the Aussie was involved again when Hearts deservedly moved ahead in the 21st minute.

David McCracken did well to charge down Skacel’s goalbound shot from the edge of the box. The ball spun out to McGowan on the right hand touchline and he played it back to Skacel, who passed the ball past Mannus.

The Czech went close again three minutes later.

This time Webster’s header from Black’s corner was palmed away by Mannus. But Skacel was unable to keep the ball down as he blazed the rebound over from 15 yards.

Saints came close to levelling on the half hour mark. Craig’s corner was headed goalward by Steven Anderson and then Murray Davidson added a touch. But with Ridgers beaten Black managed to scramble the ball off his own line.

Saints did have the ball in the net in the 39th minute as they continued to press the home side but assistant Andy Tait’s flag was up before Marcus Haber turned the ball past Ridgers.

And Saints should then have gone two goals down five minutes before the break.

Marius Zaliukas timed his run to meet Black’s corner perfectly but, with the goal at his mercy, he made a complete mess of the header which bounced wide of Mannus’s goal.

Ridgers did well to tip over a Callum Davidson shot from the edge of the area. And Sheridan then fired wide after Mackay’s through ball had played him in on goal.

Hearts were dealt a blow shortly after the restart when Darren Barr picked up a knock. He was unable to continue and Scott Robinson was sent on to replace him.

But as Robinson was waiting to come on Ridgers did well to hold a Jody Morris shot at the second attempt.

The Saints skipper was booked for talking back to ref Steven McLean in the 57th minute. And from the resulting free-kick Hearts doubled their lead.

Grainger’s delivery picked out Webster six yards from Mannus’s goal.

The big defender got there first to volley the ball past the keeper for his fourth goal of the season.

Lomas responded by sending on Derek Riordan and Jamie Adams for Millar and Murray Davidson.

The former Hibee was greeted with a predictably hostile reception from the Jambos support.

But it took both McGowan and Grainger to stop him from pulling Saints back into the game in the 70th minute.

The pair combined to charge down the striker as he looked to pull the trigger in front of goal.

And Haber then headed wide from Riordan’s corner as Ridgers again looked nervy.

Riordan then blazed over with 13 minutes left after Davidson’s through ball had played him in.