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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Matthew Gallagher

St Johnstone 2 Hearts 1: Saints show they are up for the fight in huge Perth win

St Johnstone are up for the fight.

And what a huge three points this could prove to be in the Premiership survival mission.

A beautifully worked goal inside the first minute from Ali Crawford had sent Saints on their way. It really was a neat goal all round.

While Hearts hit back quickly through Nathaniel Atkinson, heads did not drop.

After the break, defender Jamie McCart nodded in the winner to fire the Perth side off the bottom of the table and now just four points behind Ross County.

Four changes had been made from the midweek point at Pittodrie.

The full-back areas were again freshened up with recent arrivals Tom Sang and Tony Gallacher back in from the start, replacing Callum Booth and James Brown.

Murray Davidson returned in the centre of the park, out went Jacob Butterfield, while goalkeeper Zander Clark was not able to recover from injury in time to take his place between the posts. Elliott Parish had that honour.

The good news in the forward department was that Callum Hendry and Melker Hallberg were passed fit. The latter played a key role in the opener.

With just 53 seconds on the clock, he received the ball inside the box after neat work down the right flank from Sang and Glenn Middleton.

Advanced Hallberg quickly found Crawford whose first-time effort was beautifully guided into the far corner and beyond goalkeeper Ross Stewart.

Delighted Perth supporters erupted but their celebrations were short-lived as, only five minutes later, Hearts were on level terms.

That was when Barrie McKay was afforded too much space on the edge of the box to get his strike away. It came back off the post but Atkinson was on hand to tuck in the rebound.

The visitors were soon hunting for another and Ellis Simms went very close after sneaking in at the back post. His close-range effort was cleared off the line.

Saints weren’t rocked and continued to compete. Davidson tried his luck in the 22nd minute with a left-footed trundler. It was far from the perfect hit but was not all that far away from finding the bottom corner.

Also going close as the half-time whistle approached was Crawford, although his deflected curler was always drifting the wrong side of the far post.

Perth players went in search of replicating their strong opening at the beginning of the second half and it was Hallberg fancying his chances from range.

His right-footed strike had the required power but not the accuracy.

Hearts retaliated and Simms soon made a dangerous front post run. He could only lift the ball well over the crossbar.

Three points were there for the taking and, as the home support turned the volume up, Hallberg showed neat feet to escape down the left flank.

He clipped inside to find well-positioned Crawford who, this time, got his angles wrong. But on 57 minutes it was perfection from McCart.

The big centre-half was left all alone at the back post to nod home a deep Hallberg free-kick. Saints had the lead.

They needed Parish to keep it that way not long after when he pulled off a terrific point-blank stop to deny John Souttar’s powerful header.

Hallberg’s afternoon was up in the 73rd minute - it looked like cramp was setting in - and he was replaced by Charlie Gilmour.

More fresh legs arrived in Nadir Ciftci, Jacob Butterfield and Theo Bair as Saints looked to add energy in the closing stages.

The energy continued to come from the stands.

Hearts pushed for a late leveller and somehow weren’t able to scramble over the line following an 85th minute corner. Parish clutched the ball tighter than ever before.

Saints held on and, when the full-time whistle arrived, home players punched the air in celebration. A huge, huge three points.

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