Hearts 3 St Mirren 0

The ship is taking on water and now they’re scrambling for a lifeboat.

Dundee boss John Brown predicted the bottling Buddies would sink like the Titanic.

And it’ll be an SOS situation — Save Our Saints — if Dundee beat Aberdeen today and close the gap to five points.

Bomber has been playing mind games all week trying to pile the pressure on Saints.

And the Paisley side are in choppy waters after losing at Tynecastle. Now it’s back over to the Dark Blues to see if they can stay afloat.

The Taysiders must beat the Dons if they’re to take it to the penultimate week. And, on current form, there’s every chance they’ll do just that.

Saints, who had Kenny McLean red-carded in the second half, were never at the races as Hearts ran riot with goals from Jamie Walker, Kevin McHattie and a Jamie Hamill penalty.

It was a nervy display from Saints but the bottom line is a point from their last two games will see them safe, even if Dundee win their last three.

Whatever financial woes may be going on in the background at Tynecastle, it had no effect on Hearts’ players.

Gary Locke’s young side came out with all guns blazing and Saints never recovered. The Jambos were without stopper Andy Webster, who was banned after his red card against Dundee, while Michael Ngoo’s shoulder problem kept him out with Dale Carrick and Mehdi Taouil starting instead.

Skipper Jim Goodwin was still suspended for Saints.

Boss Danny Lennon made two changes, with Lee Mair and McLean in and Graham Carey and John McGinn dropping to the bench.

But they couldn’t live with an energetic Hearts side for whom Walker simply brilliant.

The 19-year-old caused all sorts of mayhem in the Saints rearguard and scored a belter.

It was Walker who set the tone in the opening seconds when he fired a dangerous cross into the box which sparked panic stations in the Saints defence.

Within a minute, John Sutton latched on to a Ryan Stevenson flick and hooked his shot across goal.

There was so muck spark in the home side that Saints were all over the shop.

Steven Thompson did race through in a rare attack but was stopped in his tracks by a magnificent McHattie tackle.

Jason Holt tested Craig Samson’s reflexes when his shot took a wicked deflection off Marc McAusland but the keeper managed to parry.

Saints had a great chance in the 11th minute but it fell to the wrong person.

Gary Teale’s free-kick to the back post was nodded down by Thompson but Lee Mair could only blast over from six yards.

That was the last of any real threat as Hearts pushed forward and it was no shock when they went ahead two minutes later.

Esmael Goncalves was caught in dreamland by Walker, who robbed him of the ball, drove forward and cracked a sizzling shot in off the underside of the bar.

Hearts called for a penalty when Paul Dummett appeared to handle in the box but ref Brian Colvin didn’t give it.

The hosts were playing like men possessed and Walker continued to be at the forefront of all their best work.

Carrick was next to find some space at the back post but he fired high and wide.

Saints’ defence was then posted missing when Stevenson pulled the ball back for Holt in acres of space, but he took a heavy touch and the chance was lost. Then David van Zanten was caught daydreaming by Walker, who raced down the wing but fired into the side netting.

And moments later, the Irish full-back was yellow-carded as he fouled livewire Walker.

That was to be his last contribution as Lennon hooked him and sent on Sam Parkin in a tactical change.

Goncalves was anonymous and the only time he drove at the Hearts backline, he was halted by the brick wall that is Darren Barr.

And it got a whole lot worse for the Buddies on the stroke of half-time when McHattie drilled a 30-yard free-kick low past Samson for 2-0.

Saints had to improve after the break — and they did.

Conor Newton forced Jamie MacDonald to block at the back post and then Parkin saw a header cleared off the line by Holt.

But just when it seemed they might grab a lifeline, their hopes went west when McLean was sent packing for tripping McHattie inside the box after he’d latched on to Stevenson’s 54th-minute through ball.

Hamill made no mistake from the penalty spot to make it 3-0. And game over.

To be fair, the Buddies kept plugging away and Paul McGowan saw his shot saved by MacDonald. Teale chipped the follow-up towards goal but Barr headed off the line.

Bomber asked the question of Saints. Now Lennon will be praying Aberdeen sail to their rescue by sinking Dundee’s survival hopes in the Tay.