Ryan says Hearts can handle pressure after comeback to beat St Mirren

Two Rudi Skacel goals, the winner coming in stoppage time, plus one from Stevenson cancelled out Michael Higdon's double for the visitors, who looked certain to take something from Tynecastle.

Hearts played within themselves during an insipid first-half display, however their recovery after the interval drew praise from Stevenson.

He explained that striving to finish third in the SPL brings certain pressures but that Hearts will cope with any tension during the final weeks of the season.

The three points garnered against St Mirren allowed the Edinburgh club to maintain their 12-point advantage over fourth-placed Dundee United.

"There's maybe a little bit of pressure coming in but, at the end of the day, we're playing for Hearts. It's a big club and we need to deal with that," he said.

"The last three or four games have been difficult. Even though we picked up a draw at Aberdeen and then beat Dundee United at home, we never played as well as we had been doing. When we lost to Kilmarnock we knew it was coming because we hadn't been playing well enough.

"United away was a tight game and we lose a goal from a set-piece. They're in the papers saying they have a great chance of catching us, which they have. They are a good team.

"They proved that last year and they proved it again this year.

"Hopefully we can look back and say Saturday was a turning point for us again.

"We're never going to go through the season playing well all the time.

"It doesn't matter whether you're a top team or one in the Third Division, every team goes through a bad stage.

"That's what we did. At the end of the season you can always look at certain games (as turning points].

"The manager made it clear that we had to stop the rot.

"We had to get back to basics.

"In the first half we didn't do that but in the second we managed it.

"So it's a massive three points for us, especially with the Hibs game coming up."