GOING IN FOR THE THRILL
Saints and Hearts serve up surprise goal fest
BEFORE kick-off at McDiarmid Park, almost ten hours of football had passed without a Hearts player scoring a goal. And, ominously for the Tynecastle side, over nine hours had elapsed since St Johnstone had last conceded.
But on an entertainingly unpredictable evening in Perth, the team who could not find the net and the side with the watertight defence both saw their remarkable respective runs come to an end.
In the end, goals from Arnaud Djoum and Oli Bozanic for Hearts were cancelled out by a clinical Blair Alston finish and a Matty Kennedy leveller from the penalty spot.
Yet while Craig Levein was happy to see his players finally scoring again, he was left fuming late on at what he clearly viewed as a harsh spot-kick for the equaliser awarded by referee Andrew Dallas for a push by Peter Haring on Saints substitute Liam Gordon.
So incensed was the Hearts boss that he marched straight on to the pitch at the final whistle to convey his anger directly to Dallas as the visiting fans chanted obscenities at the match official.
It was the second time in two matches Levein had found himself on collision course with officialdom after taking aim at Bobby Madden’s ‘abysmal’ performance as Alfredo Morelos scored an offside winner for Rangers in Gorgie on Sunday.
It was also the hapless Dallas’ second controversial penalty award in a week after handing Celtic a spot-kick in the Betfred Cup final for a handball by Aberdeen’s Dom Ball that had taken place outside the box.
Saints boss Wright made just the one change from the side that drew 0-0 with Kilmarnock in their last outing.
Out went Drey Wright after the Perth men received the hammer blow that the talented winger will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. In came Alston.
Levein made three changes from the side that lost narrowly to Rangers. Out went Marcus Godinho, Harry Cochrane and former Saint Steven MacLean. In came Clevid Dikamona, Olly Lee and Craig Wighton.
The hosts had not lost a goal in six games since a 6-0 hammering at home to Celtic in October.
But it did not take long for St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark to become reacquainted with picking the ball out of his net.
A cross from the right by Hearts full-back Michael Smith was headed back across goal and into the net by Djoum.
That ended a miserable run of 590 minutes since a Hearts player last scored, MacLean completing the rout in that 3-0 win at Dens two months ago.
During that six-game run, the only goal the Tynecastle men had scored was through an OG from Rangers defender Gareth McAuley on Sunday.
But St Johnstone’s reaction to the early setback was impressive.
Wright’s men were soon nearly level when Tony Watt played the ball into the path of Scott Tanser on the left side of the box.
It took a wonderful save from Zdenek Zlamal to turn his effort round the post. However, Dallas inexplicably awarded a goal-kick.
But Saints were soon level when David Wotherspoon beat Smith before crossing for Alston to side foot smartly into the far corner of the net. And it took another good save from Zlamal to stop Alston putting Saints in front moments later after he ran on to an exquisite chip over the top from Kennedy (left). Seconds later, the Hearts keeper made yet another stop from Watt’s flicked header after the ball was put back into the box by Wotherspoon. The pressure stayed on Hearts as a vital header by Demetri Mitchell ensured a dangerous delivery from Wotherspoon did not come to anything. But Hearts went into the break a goal ahead against the run of play when Lee’s free-kick from the left was headed in the net by Bozanic.
Watching the slack Saints defending, it was hard to believe this was the same team that had proved such a tough nut to crack in recent matches.
Yet the home side again rallied and Liam Craig was unlucky when his low 20-yard shot flashed past the left post. Dallas then blew to bring a terrifically entertaining first half to an end.
Wright obviously did not like what he was seeing from his defence. He sent on Liam Gordon to replace left-back Tanser.
Gordon now partnered Jason Kerr in the heart of the defence, while right-back Richard Foster moved over to the right. Captain Joe Shaughnessy was pushed over to right back from centre-half.
Saints continued to be the more impressive side without finding a leveller. So Wright then sent on striker Chris Kane for goalscorer Alston to add more threat.
But it was the earlier Saints substitute, Gordon, who won the contentious penalty off Haring with 21 minutes left.
Kennedy did not care about the harshness or otherwise of the award. He made no mistake, sending Zlamal left and the ball right to level the match.
Kennedy then nearly put Saints ahead after a fine run down the right but Zlamal did well to save at the near post.
The draw ensures Hearts remain in fourth, with St Johnstone two points behind them in fifth.
But a frustrated Levein clearly felt at the final whistle that Dallas had cost his side their first win since October.
ST JOHNSTONE (4-4-1-1): Clark 6; Foster 6, Kerr 6, Shaughnessy 6, Tanser 6; Alston 6 (Kane 66), Davidson 6, Wotherspoon 7, Craig 6; Kennedy 7; Watt 6. Subs not used: Hurst, McMillan, Nydam, Scougall, Gordon, Callachan. Booked: Wotherspoon, Craig, Foster. HEARTS (4-1-4-1): Zlamal 6; Smith 6, Dikamona 6, Berra 6, Mitchell 6 (Godinho 77); Haring 6; Bozanic 6, Lee 6 (Morrison 81), Clare 6, Djoum 7; Wighton 6. Subs not used: Doyle, Hughes, MacLean, Cochrane, Mulraney. Booked: Berra, Haring, Clare. Referee: Andrew Dallas. Man of the Match: Matty Kennedy.