Hearts benefit from less venomous fans amid Neil Critchley’s telling stat ahead of crunch Hibs clash.
From sinners to saints, Hearts guaranteed they would not top the Premiership league on Christmas Day and would enter the Boxing Day derby against Hibs with some momentum after overcoming St Johnstone 2-1 at Tynecastle.
Hearts won their fourth league game of the season against Perth, following a dismal departure from the UEFA Conference League just 72 hours earlier. They climb from 12th to tenth place, leaving St Johnstone at the bottom of a relegation race that is already twisting and turning. Despite the overwhelming lack of talent on display, Hearts deserved to win.
After failing to overcome Petrocub in Gorgie earlier in the week, there was more synergy between the squad and the support base. The boycott by the Gorgie Ultras may have helped, but head coach Neil Critchley prefers that everyone work together. There was less hostility in the stands, maybe because those supporters who barracked their side from start to finish on Thursday realized that such gestures are counterproductive. It also helped that Hearts provided something to shout about early on.
On 16 minutes, birthday boy James Penrice scored the opening goal, ghosting in between Aaron Essel and Jack Sanders to head home a beautiful cross from fellow fullback Adam Forrester. Hearts controlled the first half, but were denied a second goal on 38 minutes by a tight offside ruling that nullified James Wilson’s strike. St Johnstone posed no threat, and we were lucky that the damage was not bigger.
They improved after the break, with Graham Carey’s entrance igniting a brief recovery. They were granted a penalty when VAR flagged Penrice for a handball on 53 minutes, his third spot-kick surrender in seven days. Carey converted calmly, and the Saints might have seized the lead a minute later when Adam Sidibeh squandered an excellent chance when through on goal.
That was all from Simo Valakari’s perspective. A hushed Tynecastle was agitated by an away support cry of “is this a library” immediately before Blair Spittal closed them down with a rasping volley from just outside the box on 58 minutes, after Saints had half cleared a Penrice cross. The playmaker’s fifth goal of the season was a game-winner.
St Johnstone huffed and puffed in their pursuit of a second equalizer but never tested Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon. On the other end, Saints No. 1 Josh Rae produced a brilliant stop against Kenneth Vargas late on. There are few tangible rewards for Valakari’s team’s stylistic shift, which has resulted in a considerably more appealing and innovative kind of football. The Finn mentioned using this match as a “reset” moment, with no one behind them anymore.
Critchley, his Hearts equivalent, was satisfied thereafter. Since his arrival at Tynecastle in October, he has taken 14 Premiership points, trailing just Celtic, Rangers, and St Mirren. It is a remarkable statistic in light of fan dissatisfaction, yet it should be emphasized that the home supporters were patient and supported their team. Hearts played a more direct style of game, hoping to avoid a midfield battle. When the going got tough, their tenacious No. 6 Cammy Devlin fought his way to victory in the midfield. He was the best player on the field.
At full-time, the small Australian applauded all four stands, plainly on empty. This result has healed some scars, which is a positive step forward. Everyone will need to be together again when eighth-placed Hibs come on Thursday, with the stakes significantly higher between two strong teams at opposite ends of the table.
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