Callum Davidson admits St Johnstone were taught a lesson in clinical finishing at Tynecastle.
The Saints manager felt 3-0 was ‘harsh’ on his disappointed side, but conceded not taking a number of chances proved fatal. Davidson believes his team have played worse in Gorgie and come away with something to show for it.
They put Hearts under considerable strain after Josh Ginnelly’s opener, but the forward completing his double after half-time was a body blow from which they could not recover, and Jorge Grant later added a third.
“I thought 3-0 was harsh because until the third I felt we were in it and creating chances," he said. "We had the courage to keep playing, attacked and tried to get at them - so that opened us up a bit.
“Hearts took their chances and we didn’t take ours. That was a lesson for us and probably shows us where we are.
“We started well, were on the front foot in the second half but got hit with a sucker punch. I have come here and seen us play worse but get results.”
The St Johnstone players were certain Adam Montgomery was fouled by Lawrence Shankland prior to Ginnelly’s opener – but Davidson was more interested in their own failings.
“Whether it was a foul or not, we have to react better,” he insisted. “It will be checked by VAR so you have to play to the whistle. For me we didn’t react quick enough and then the deflected goal goes in.
"It was a big moment in the game and it’s something we have talked about, you have to keep going.
“I thought it was an even game until they scored to the third, it sounds daft saying it after a 3-0, but I always felt we were in it. We tried to do the right things, we put them under pressure and were tactically good.”
