Hearts newcomers can't allow themselves to be haunted by the ghosts of seasons past

The mood of disappointment that permeated the Hearts dressing room on Saturday evening was the kind more readily associated with defeat but given the early season form and the rising level of expectation at the capital club that was understandable.

“It genuinely did feel like it,” explained defender Stephen Kingsley, who was unhappy with the way Dundee’s late equaliser was conceded.

“It’s the standards we all hold ourselves to. Obviously it’s set by the gaffer and all the coaching staff, but it’s the standards we set ourselves as well, because we know we should be winning these games.

“We’re putting in the performance to win the game, we just haven’t done it.

Hearts defender Stephen Kingsley is looking forward to righting some wrongs at McDiarmid Park. Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group

“As I say, to concede the goal we did was very frustrating and disappointing and that’s why it was that silent after the game.”

Booed off the pitch at full-time by a section of the home support, that reaction served as a warning to the newcomers who have enjoyed strong backing from those same fans during their unbeaten start to the league campaign, that having set the bar high, they should not dip below it.

“They know that. They know that over the course of a season there’s going to be days like that. We know we’re not going to have it our own way the whole season, so it’s about how we react really.

“For me, being here last season, obviously it was in a different league, but whenever we did have any disappointments we always jumped back from them really well and showed good resilience, so we need to do that again.

“That’s the good thing about football, you always get chances to redeem yourself and we’ve got St Johnstone. The run that they went on last season and the cups they won is just phenomenal, so we know it’s going to be a very tough game in a tough place but we know that if we put the performance in and can be more clinical we can get the three points that we need.”

Kingsley has been a star turn for the capital side, operating on the left of the back three, contributing defensively but also posing a threat when advancing or from a set piece, but he knows that bouncing straight back will demand improved fortunes in Perth.

It has been 11 years since Hearts triumphed at McDiarmid Park on league duty, something that will be used to incentivise rather than scare the squad, according to the 27 year-old.

“I knew from speaking to the boys in the changing room that the record wasn’t great up there and I’m sure the manager will be telling us as well before the game.

“It’s such a massive game for us at a place we’ve not had much success at in the past. But I’ve obviously not been here during that time and neither have a lot of the boys in the changing room, so it’ll be somewhere that we will go still full of confidence.

“I think we just need to focus on ourselves. We can’t really worry about what’s happened in the past. Whether you’ve played in those games or you haven’t, you just need to focus on this game coming up and what we need to do to win the game.”

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