Robinson slams referee after first game in charge
STEPHEN ROBINSON won’t face too many more difficult days than his dugout debut as St Mirren manager.
The Buddies boss watched his side reduced to 10 men after 22 minutes before Hearts hit a quick-fire double in Paisley.
It was all change for both sides having come into the fixture in contrasting form with the hosts unbeaten in eight and Robbie Neilson’s men winless in their last four league outings.
But the form book went out the window as Hearts claimed a deserved three points on the road.
The new St Mirren boss was given a rapturous ovation when he stepped out the tunnel, but the attention in the home stands quickly turned to whistler Greg Aitken who irked the Paisley faithful by sending off Conor Ronan and denying desperate appeals for a penalty.
Robinson was among those furious with the decisions.
“The whole game was dictated by decisions today unfortunately. Nothing seems to have changed since I have been away,” said the Northern Irishman. “The second goal, Jak [Alnwick] is adamant he has the ball in his hands. I think everybody was surprised not to hear a whistle, including the fourth official, he told me.
“The penalty on Alex, again, for me it looked like a blatant penalty. The red card in the first half changes the game completely, rightly or wrongly. “Unfortunately we have been done by decisions today.”
Hearts, backed by a sizeable travelling support, controlled proceedings from the first whistle with Liam Boyce twice threatening as he saw efforts thwarted by the impressive Alnwick. Despite their early chances – the real turning point for the match came on 22 minutes when Ronan caught Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime with a high challenge after the ball bobbled way from him. The Wolves loanee was stretching for the ball but caught his opponent around the knee before being ordered off after a lengthy pause in play.
Ten minutes from the break and referee Aitken would again face backlash from the irate home support as Grieve went down in the box under pressure from Nathaniel Atkinson but play was waved on.
It was backs against the wall for St Mirren immediately after the restart. Alnwick was again called into action to deny Boyce with a superb double stop but the visitors would eventually make their pressure count on 64 minutes as hugely effective substitute Ellis Simms fired the ball home. Even his first effort was saved by Alnwick but there was no stopping the rebound strike.
Three minutes later and the points were sealed for the Edinburgh club as Cammy Devlin found the net.
A pleased Robbie Neilson said: “The sending-off made a difference to the game but prior to that I thought we were playing well anyway. I thought the ref got the key decisions right.”