Sutton picks up where he left off with a goal to settle new boss

AMID all the angst this summer over the departure of Craig Beattie, it was forgotten that Hearts had a proven Premier League performer on the books and returning from exile in Australia.

John Sutton might have scored just once in 10 appearances while on loan at Central Coast Mariners but 43 goals in his previous four SPL seasons speaks of a striker with pedigree; just what John McGlynn needs if he is to make a success of his tenure at Hearts.

It was a Sutton goal after half an hour that set the manager on his way to a debut victory, a triumph gilded by a splendid David Templeton effort which finally quelled the threat of 10-man St Johnstone as the game entered its final 10 minutes. The circumstances of the Englishman's opener on the half hour were perhaps a mite grubby – the excellent Templeton seeming to manufacture contact with Dave Mackay's knee to earn a penalty after burrowing into the area – but Sutton's conversion exhibited the sort of assurance needed to help nurture the youngsters around him.

That said, for all the talk of McGlynn being obliged to fill his team with kids, only two new faces – full-backs Kevin McHattie and Callum Paterson – were included in Hearts' first competitive game since the Scottish Cup final and neither seemed in need of much help to impress. Paterson, especially, was terrific, clattering the crossbar with a fearsome scud, forcing Alan Mannus to claw a towering header past, and consistently causing problems with his long throw-ins and rampaging runs forward. "Callum is 17 and Kevin 18 and they were excellent," said McGlynn. "They could have been put off by the size of the crowd and everything else around them but they handled the situation perfectly."

They were not alone. Hearts were undoubtedly worth their victory, twice having efforts cleared off the line by Callum Davidson in the first half and cranking up the pressure on an undermanned St Johnstone in the second before being finally rewarded with a second goal. Templeton, who had already gone close with a couple of sighters, accepted a diagonal pass from Medhi Taouil, cut inside David McCracken and swept a delightful low finish past Mannus.

That goal finally ended St Johnstone's spirited resolve since the sending off of Gregory Tade. In what was his first league appearance for the club, the Frenchman became entangled with Paterson while challenging for a cross towards the end of the first half and, having initially extracted himself, stood accused of returning to lay a glove on Andy Webster before berating an assistant referee.

Manager Steve Lomas, who spent much of the half in the ear of fourth official Mike Tumilty after vacating his seat in the stand, colourfully questioned the decision, with referee Stevie O'Reilly, assistant Stuart MacAuley and Tade himself all the subject of robust enquiry, but conceded his player's culpability afterwards. "Greg was stupid but we've all been stupid at times," Lomas said. "I just feel Ryan McGowan should have been sent off for a jaw-breaker, leading with his elbow, in the first couple of minutes.

"The linesman sees one in the box but not one six yards in front of him; that's a worry."

St Johnstone's creativity stemmed mainly from Liam Craig, be it a panic-inducing cross or a couple of efforts from distance, but the clearest opportunities fell to Nigel Hasselbaink. The diminutive attacker – making his league debut – first capitalised on a misdirected Sutton header to jab in a shot that Paterson blocked on the line, then cut inside the defender to lash a drive that Jamie MacDonald did well to thwart. "We just didn't take those chances," bemoaned Lomas.

Taken from the Herald