St Mirren vs Hearts. Scottish Premiership.
The SMiSA StadiumAttendance7,341.
Hearts lost yet again as they were beaten by St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership; the hosts themselves had not won any of their previous seven matches; Toyosi Olusanya scored the winning goal in the 34th minute to condemn Hearts to an eighth straight defeat in all competitions
Saturday 21 September 2024 19:49, UK
Hearts fans called for Steven Naismith to be sacked as their woeful start to the season continued with an eighth consecutive defeat in all competitions away to St Mirren.
Toyosi Olusanya scored the decisive goal for the Buddies in the 34th minute to consign the beleaguered Jambos to a 2-1 loss in Paisley and leave them rooted to the foot of the Scottish Premiership.
Naismith was rewarded with a contract extension early last month after leading the Edinburgh side to third place last season.
However, Hearts' board now face a big decision over whether to keep faith with their manager after a notable section of the 1,500-strong travelling support made their feelings clear, chanting obscenities and jeering his substitutions long before the end of this latest dismal display.
Discussing the situation after the game, Naismith said: "There's not much I can say that's going to appease anyone's frustrations and anger. We've started the season without winning a game, so it's bitterly disappointing.
"I'm realistic to understand that the more games we pass, the more pressure builds.
"It will be what it'll be. The one thing I've felt my whole time at the club as a player, as a coach and as a manager, is that the board are realistic, they're sensible, they understand it. They make good decisions, in my opinion.
"They have done in the club for the last five years. That'll be what it'll be. I can totally understand the fans' frustration. The travelling support, the backing we get is fantastic. At the moment, we're not rewarding that. That's a big disappointment."
St Mirren - who had not won any of their previous seven matches - made one change to the side that started the 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock as Killian Phillips replaced Roland Idowu.
Naismith - without a win of any kind since May 11 - also made one alteration to the team that started the 2-0 defeat at Celtic, switching from 3-5-2 to 4-2-3-1, with Blair Spittal coming in for Kye Rowles.
The visitors started with intent as Kenneth Vargas burst down the right straight from kick-off and his ball across goal picked out Spittal, whose shot from 15 yards was blocked by Saints defender Marcus Fraser before Vargas headed over from close range.
But Hearts' bright start was rendered irrelevant when they fell behind in the eighth minute as Mark O'Hara's corner to the edge of the six-yard box was knocked into the net by a combination of Saints defender Richard Taylor and Jambos full-back Gerald Taylor.
The Edinburgh side got themselves level from a corner of their own in the 18th minute when Craig Halkett ran to the front post and glanced home a header from Spittal's delivery.
Saints regained the lead from another set-piece in the 34th minute, however, when Alex Gogic's free-kick was flicked on by Phillips and Olusanya ghosted in behind the Hearts defence to fire home an emphatic finish from the angle of the six-yard box.
Buddies goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe was called into action in the 43rd minute to push behind a powerful 20-yard strike from James Penrice, and at the other end, Halkett slid in to make a vital block on Olusanya just before the break.
Naismith sent on Daniel Oyegoke in place of Taylor at the start of the second half, but, for all that the visitors desperately needed a response, St Mirren looked the likelier side to score again, with Olusanya, Gogic and substitutes Kevin van Veen and Idowu all spurning good chances to add sheen to their first league win since the opening weekend of the season.
Hearts manager Steven Naismith: "I love the job. I love the challenge. I love the intensity.
"I love the pressure that comes with it. I love all that. I'm just really frustrated because our performances at times have been good. Today, I thought we had an intent, we carried a threat. But it's the final moments that have not given any fruit for that play.
"And then the goals, we can see they are soft. In terms of my job, I love it. I think it's a brilliant club. I think there's so much potential.
"It's a really tough moment. I'm well aware of it. I understand the pressures and the consequences that come with that. But I still have full belief, if I'm honest."
St Johnstone manager Stephen Robinson: "I thought we started a little bit nervy the first 25 minutes and then after that we got the ball down. In the second half we were comfortable without the ball, really disciplined and hitting hard on the break. We had two or three great chances to make the game very comfortable.
"I don't think Hearts created anything in the second half."
