ROBBIE NEILSON admits that he does not know the extent of the injuries that three of his Hearts players suffered in the team’s 3-2 win over St Johnstone but the manager does not believe the Perth outfit’s physical approach went too far.
Kye Rowles, Liam Boyce and Nathaniel Atkinson all had to be brought off after succumbing to injury during a well-fought contest at Tynecastle.
Graham Carey gave the visitors an early lead in the capital before two quick-fire goals from Rowles and Boyce turned the game in Hearts’ favour towards the end of a stop-start opening 45 minutes.
Andy Considine restored parity for Saints and although Callum Davidson’s side defended doggedly and looked as if they would hold out to gain a point, Lawrence Shankland’s penalty with 10 minutes to go secured a deserved victory for the hosts.
“We will need to wait and see they will get scanned tonight or tomorrow and then we’ll get the feedback,” Neilson said of the injured trio. “It could be a day, it could be nine months.
“We are speculating on what it could be. Liam felt pain in his knee but the good thing for me is he is walking about on crutches so fingers crossed it’s not as bad as first feared.
“Kye has a problem with his metatarsal that will have a scan - he got stood on - Atkinson felt his groin go tight so again until we get the scan results back we won’t know.”
“No I don’t think they did overstep the mark,” he added. “Boycey’s one, it’s the first tackle he got booked for. It’s when he gets up and Boycey tries to get over him that he catches him and it’s the way that’s happened that’s caused it.
“There wasn’t really any other tackles, bad ones anyway, it’s Scottish football and you just have to deal with it.”
It took just six minutes for St Johnstone to take the lead in Gorgie and there was little doubt over who was to blame. Craig Gordon, the Hearts goalkeeper, drifted right and away from his goal to intercept a loose pass from the visitors, but then went on to play the ball right into the feet of Carey, who took a touch before rifling the ball into the unguarded net.
Hearts didn’t let that early mistake throw them off their stride. The home side saw plenty of the ball but struggled a little to break down the Saints defence, and they continued to patiently build out from the back.
They would get their reward with 26 minutes played, and the equaliser would arrive via a set-piece. Gary Mackay-Steven drilled an inviting delivery into the area where Rowles connected with it, bulleting a header into the back of the net. The defender’s momentum carried him over the line, too, and an awkward landing meant his afternoon would be cut short. He received some treatment from the physio and carried on initially, but would be subbed off within 10 minutes.
Five minutes passed before the hosts nudged themselves in front courtesy of a well-worked counter-attack. A fantastic pass from Peter Haring sent Josh Ginnelly scarpering down the right wing in acres of space. The attacker waited, choosing his moment carefully before crossing the ball into the six-yard box, where Boyce was waiting to nod it home.
Ginnelly rattled the frame of the goal a few moments later but there would be another change before half-time after Boyce suffered a serious-looking injury. Daniel Phillips slid in heavily on Cammy Devlin – and was rewarded with a booking – and as Boyce attempted to pounce on the loose ball, the striker appeared to catch his foot on the turf. After a stoppage of play that lasted a few minutes, the Northern Irishman was stretchered off as Shankland came on to replace him.
Davidson’s men were down but not out, and they came roaring out of the traps upon the restart. They looked lively and carried more of a threat, although they were fortunate not to find themselves 3-1 down when a slack Liam Gordon backpass was intercepted by Ginnelly. The pacey forward beat the goalkeeper but couldn’t fashion an angle and by the time a shot on goal materialised, Saints keeper Remi Matthews was back on his line and was able to keep it out.
A minute later and Saints restored parity. Ali Crawford’s corner was headed goalwards by Stevie May and Considine flicked it on from a few yards out to make it 2-2 with 54 minutes played.
Hearts upped the ante again as they subjected St Johnstone to wave after wave of attack, and the home crowd became increasingly exasperated as time marched on. With 10 minutes to go, though, a rash challenge from Gordon sent Barrie McKay crashing to the floor in the Saints box. Up stepped Shankland, who kept his cool to stroke the ball into the bottom right corner and seal the three points for Hearts.
“I’m furious,” fumed Davidson. “My team gave me so much but when you make basic, basic mistakes like, don’t organise and don’t do the right things, it’s unacceptable.
“If we’d been beaten by a goal into the top corner, fair enough, but that wasn’t the case.
“It was a penalty all day long. Graham [Carey] brings it down for him and Gordy has to stay on his feet.
“But we’ve got to organise better. It’s something I’m going to have to look at.”
