Hearts 0-1 St Johnstone: No instant cure from Daniel Stendel for Gorgie woe

St Johnstone's Callum Hendry heads home the only goal of the game against Hearts. Picture: Craig Williamson / SNS

Few with any nous will have turned up at Tynecastle expecting a miracle, well aware that it would take more than four training sessions to turn around the performances of a Hearts squad that is mired in a relegation battle. But they had hoped there might be enough of a new-manager-bounce to offer signs of encouragement and improvement and, perhaps, a much-needed three points to edge them away from the foot of the table.

They were left wanting, however, as St Johnstone ensured that Stendel was offered total clarity in weighing up the players he has inherited, the fragile psyche and the perilous state of footballing matters at the club.

Hearts can no longer pretend to be too good to simply avoid the drop but if the new man gets his way they will, ultimately, have enough graft to grapple their way out of their predicament.

But it is not going to be easy. If he thought so beforehand, he knows better now and will recognise the mental frailties, particularly in front of a home crowd who have precious little patience left and are no doubt worried by the cluster of upcoming fixtures. Hearts were unable to get the better of the side propping up the table at the start of the day, so there are concerns as to how they pick up any points against the likes of Celtic, Hibs and Aberdeen over the festive period.

As Stendel wore his heart on his sleeve in the full glare of the technical area, it was the guests who had spirits lifted as they picked up their first away win in almost a year and put three points between themselves, Hamilton and Hearts at the bottom.

The fact they did so at a ground that had served up just two wins for them in the past eight years proved just how determined they were and how difficult life has become for the home side.

Prior to the match, the German said he had told the players that it didn’t matter what had happened in the past, insisting that this match represented a fresh start. He spoke about the power and passion at the club and his belief that the players would show that as they took the first, small steps towards eventually turning Tynecastle into a fortress. But, despite an attacking start, they were undone by a 74th minute set-piece, which saw St Johnstone substitute Callum Hendry send a header past Zdenek Zlamal to secure the win and the chance to move out of the drop zone.

It had looked less likely as the game got under way and Hearts mustered a dangerous cross, a corner and a Glenn Whelan long-range shot all within the first 90 seconds.

But for both teams it was to come down to who was the more clinical in attacking positions. Hearts earned themselves a dozen corners but couldn’t make any of them count for anything, wasting far too many with inadequate deliveries, while the Perth side had their own attacking aberrations to rue.

Zlamal tried to double up as sweeper as Michael O’Halloran was played through but his effort was denied by Aaron Hickey on the line and the Hearts goalie managed to scurry back in time to foil Matty Kennedy who latched on to the rebound.

Hearts were still trying to maintain a forward momentum as their new boss gestured and bawled at them to get up the field and close down the space but the final efforts were high, wide, or too close to Saints goalkeeper Zander Clark.

The Perth side’s inaccuracy was frustrating their manager as well, until the 74th minute. O’Halloran played the ball inside for Hendry and he looked certain to score but somehow Zlamal was able to push the ball up over the bar. However, from the corner, the men in front of him were napping and this time Hendry was able to head the ball into the net.

Stendel still has a long way to go to turn Tynecastle into a fortress.