This was a day when it took a while for the deadlock to be broken but showcased two sides who are making strides.

Hearts won 1-0 against St Johnstone to accumulate three Premiership wins in a row for the first time in nearly two years – the last time was January 2022 – and move a little closer to the consistency they are seeking, while lowly Saints demonstrated the confidence, the spirit and an overall ability that should, in time, see them distance themselves from all thoughts of relegation.

Stuck at the foot of the table when Craig Levein was named as a replacement for the sacked Steven MacLean, a draw and a victory in his first two games had elevated them a couple of places. Defeat at Tynecastle in the St Johnstone gaffer’s first competitive game back at the ground since he was relieved of both his managerial and director of football duties back in October 2019, saw them slip back to 11th but the display offered more than enough positives to suggest they won’t linger there long as they troubled their hosts.

Hearts' Lawrence Shankland (L), Liam Boyce and Yutaro Oda celebrate the winning goal.

The first 20 minutes were a slightly different story as Hearts threatened to settle matters early doors. In that spell, they injected zip and verve into their play, producing some crowd-pleasing one-touch football, and breaking forward at pace. It made it tougher for the Perth side to organise themselves behind the ball and left openings for the men in maroon to exploit. All that was missing was the finish.

In the fourth minute they almost supplied a delightful opening goal. They swiftly passed their way from back to front, through the defence, across the midfield and out to the advancing Alex Cochrane who burst down the left. Cutting inside he linked up with Jorge Grant, whose audaciously-neat back heel found Lawrence Shankland and the side’s top scorer laid it off to Cochrane who had followed in. It would have been a superb opener but goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov proved a spoilsport.

Alex Lowry, Liam Boyce and Kye Rowles also had chances, as Hearts won corners and applied some pressure and there was also a penalty shout in the 19th minute when Alan Forrest was upended by Luke Robinson but neither the match referee nor the VAR officials chose to intervene. But if Hearts had started the game with plenty of spark, having weathered that period, it was St Johnstone’s passion and drive that was ignited.

Without the injured Nicky Clark, the question was whether they would have the finishing finesse required. They came close in the 24th minute when Hearts stopper Zander Clark had to pull off an incredible point blank save from Luke Robinson, then Dara Costelloe’s blasted rebound was blocked.

St Johnstone's Dimitar Mitov (L), Ryan McGowan (C) and Daniel Phillips surround Kenneth Vargas after the Costa Rican's dive.

But the game began to level out. After the match Naismith said it was a compliment to Hearts that teams were heading to Tynecastle determined to sit in but St Johnstone didn’t simply park the bus. They were organised but they were also on the front foot looking for openings as soon as there were turnovers and if Hearts found it tough to break them down, that was aided by their own drop in tempo and a lack of urgency. Slow in the build up, they were forced into more and more ambitious passes forward, with a higher percentage for error.

It played into St Johnstone’s hands, especially as the frustrated home crowd started to turn on their own team. The lack of dynamism and the inability to maintain the flow and momentum of the opening period, turned it into a nervy affair. Hearts had to keep chipping away and it was effective in the long-run but a less pedestrian approach may have proved even more effective, even sooner.

The difference between the Tynecastle outfit and some of those who will try to make them pay when they take the foot off the gas is the calibre of their frontline, with the likes of Boyce and Shankland prolific strikers at this level. Having built up a decent understanding, their football intelligence is an asset, as is their finishing prowess, or on this occasion, Shankland’s instinct for being in the right place at the right time. Even if it deprived his colleague his second goal of the campaign.

In the 61st minute it was the Northern Irishman’s strike which seemed netbound and he was initially credited with the goal but the effort had taken a deflection off Shankland on the way through, and there was no way the Scotland striker was not going to claim it, making it six goals in his last six Hearts appearances. When Naismith talks about consistency, that is the kind he can be grateful for.

Hearts manager Steven Naismith (L) and St Johnstone manager Craig Levein.

Star Man: While Hearts’ attacks often slowed down as they passed through their midfield, St Johnstone’s Matt Smith did very little wrong in that middle third. But, the difference between the teams ultimately proved to be the respective strike forces. Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland and Liam Boyce are such a formidable force, especially when they are on the same wavelength. Match smart and able to create space for team-mates, as well as pepper the goal with their own efforts, although Shankland got the deflection, it was Boyce who created the winning goal and, due to his overall performance, he just edges his team-mate.

Quick quote: Former Hearts boss Craig Levein on what turned out to be a fairly low key competitive return to Tynecastle: “I was expecting to get a little bit of stick but it didn't really materialise. I was a wee bit disappointed. I need to have a word with the Hearts fans about that!” There was one brief derogatory chant about the man who has served the club as player, manager, and director of football, five minutes into the match, but that was it and he was greeted far more favourably by many of the Hearts players who have worked under him.

Talking points: Kenny Vargas has received praise for his performances and his pace since joining Hearts on loan, and there was so much positivity surrounding the Costa Rican striker's first goal for the club, to give them a 1-0 victory over Livingston earlier this month. But his most notable contribution against St Johnstone was far less laudable as he tried to con the referee into awarding a late penalty with a blatant and shameful dive. John Beaton booked him instead. Young and still relatively new to the Scottish game, hopefully his gaffer or his team-mates will have a word with Vargas and help him eradicate that from his game.

Hearts keep up progress: Mr Consistency shows way, Levein's words with fans joke, Vargas' shameful dive