St Mirren 0-2 Hearts: Robinson tenure begins with defeat for 10-man hosts

New St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson made a losing start in the Scottish Premiership as his 10-man side succumbed to Hearts in the second half.

Connor Ronan was shown a straight red for a lunge on Beni Baningime after 23 minutes and Hearts capitalised for a first win in six league games.

Substitute Ellis Simms netted within minutes of his introduction then had a role in Cammy Devlin’s swift second.

Hearts are 11 points clear in third, while St Mirren drop a place to eighth.

• Reaction & as it happened

Tynecastle manager Robbie Neilson spoke in the build-up about the importance of his side sticking to their principles and not getting bogged down by their recent poor form.

They started with plenty of attacking intent and Jak Alnwick in the St Mirren goal kept the hosts on level terms in the early stages.

Hearts were especially threatening down the left and should have taken the lead when Liam Boyce met Barrie McKay’s cross at the back post. Ben Woodburn also blazed a presentable chance over the bar.

The pivotal moment came when Ronan went in recklessly high on Baningime. Greg Aitken showed no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and sending the Irish midfielder off.

The red card saw the game descend into a scrappy affair and it was the second-half introduction of Simms that provided the spark Hearts craved.

The on-loan Everton striker broke the deadlock on 64 minutes, scrambling home the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Alnwick. Again it was McKay down the left who had created the opening.

It could have been 2-0 moments later – Boyce couldn’t get enough contact on a cross from Stephen Kingsley – but Neilson’s men didn’t have to wait long.

Baningime slid a pass in behind for Simms, and although Alnwick dashed out to deny him, Devlin reacted fastest to slam home the loose ball. St Mirren appealed for a foul on their goalkeeper, but to no avail.

Simms then hit the bar after turning Joe Shaughnessy inside out and despite a late rally from the hosts, they were unable to cut the deficit in front of a frustrated home crowd.

Man of the Match – Ellis Simms

More to follow.

Player of the match

HalkettCraig Halkett

with an average of 7.68

St Mirren

1. Squad number1Player nameAlnwick

2. Squad number21Player nameGreive

3. Squad number4Player nameShaughnessy

4. Squad number2Player nameTait

5. Squad number13Player nameGogic

6. Squad number22Player nameFraser

7. Squad number6Player namePower

8. Squad number7Player nameJones

9. Squad number18Player nameDunne

10. Squad number11Player nameKiltie

11. Squad number43Player nameRonan

12. Squad number8Player nameFlynn

13. Squad number10Player nameMain

14. Squad number9Player nameBrophy

Heart of Midlothian

1. Squad number19Player nameHalkett

2. Squad number20Player nameSimms

3. Squad number14Player nameDevlin

4. Squad number18Player nameMcKay

5. Squad number3Player nameKingsley

6. Squad number6Player nameBaningime

7. Squad number5Player nameHaring

8. Squad number11Player nameMackay-Steven

9. Squad number17Player nameCochrane

10. Squad number30Player nameGinnelly

11. Squad number9Player nameWoodburn

12. Squad number1Player nameGordon

13. Squad number12Player nameAtkinson

14. Squad number4Player nameSouttar

15. Squad number10Player nameBoyce

16. Squad number16Player nameHalliday

Line-ups

St Mirren

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Alnwick

22Fraser4Shaughnessy18Dunne2Tait

6Power13Gogic

11Kiltie43Ronan7Jones

21Greive

• 1Alnwick
• 22Fraser
• 4Shaughnessy
• 18Dunne
• 2TaitBooked at 67mins
• 6PowerBooked at 62minsSubstituted forBrophyat 69′minutes
• 13Gogic
• 11KiltieSubstituted forFlynnat 63′minutes
• 43RonanBooked at 22mins
• 7Jones
• 21GreiveSubstituted forMainat 63′minutes

Substitutes

• 3Tanser
• 5McCarthy
• 8Flynn
• 9Brophy
• 10Main
• 12Henderson
• 16Erhahon
• 26Lyness
• 44Millar

Hearts

Formation 3-4-3

1Gordon

4Souttar19Halkett3Kingsley

12Atkinson6Baningime14Devlin11Mackay-Steven

9Woodburn10Boyce18McKay

• 1Gordon
• 4Souttar
• 19HalkettBooked at 89mins
• 3KingsleySubstituted forHallidayat 69′minutes
• 12AtkinsonBooked at 27minsSubstituted forCochraneat 56′minutes
• 6Baningime
• 14DevlinBooked at 62minsSubstituted forHaringat 69′minutesBooked at 86mins
• 11Mackay-StevenSubstituted forGinnellyat 55′minutes
• 9WoodburnSubstituted forSimmsat 55′minutes
• 10Boyce
• 18McKay

Substitutes

• 5Haring
• 8McEneff
• 13Stewart
• 15Moore
• 16Halliday
• 17Cochrane
• 20Simms
• 21Sibbick
• 30Ginnelly

Referee:

Greg Aitken

Attendance:

5,767

Live Text

1. Match ends, St. Mirren 0, Heart of Midlothian 2.

2. Second Half ends, St. Mirren 0, Heart of Midlothian 2.

3. Josh Ginnelly (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

4. Foul by Ryan Flynn (St. Mirren).

5. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Andrew Halliday.

6. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by John Souttar.

7. Attempt missed. Barrie McKay (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Liam Boyce.

8. Attempt missed. Alexandros Gogic (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

9. Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

10. Foul by Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian).

11. Eamonn Brophy (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

12. Attempt missed. Liam Boyce (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Josh Ginnelly.

13. Ellis Simms (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

14. Foul by Alexandros Gogic (St. Mirren).

15. Peter Haring (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

16. Foul by Peter Haring (Heart of Midlothian).

17. Jordan Jones (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

18. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Andrew Halliday.

19. Attempt missed. Jordan Jones (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.

20. Foul by Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian).

Cammy Devlin’s goal made sure Hearts ended their three-game losing league runNew St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson made a losing start in the Scottish Premiership as his 10-man side succumbed to Hearts in the second half.Connor Ronan was shown a straight red for a lunge on Beni Baningime after 23 minutes and Hearts capitalised for a first win in six league games.Substitute Ellis Simms netted within minutes of his introduction then had a role in Cammy Devlin’s swift second.Hearts are 11 points clear in third, while St Mirren drop a place to eighth.Reaction & as it happenedTynecastle manager Robbie Neilson spoke in the build-up about the importance of his side sticking to their principles and not getting bogged down by their recent poor form.They started with plenty of attacking intent and Jak Alnwick in the St Mirren goal kept the hosts on level terms in the early stages. Hearts were especially threatening down the left and should have taken the lead when Liam Boyce met Barrie McKay’s cross at the back post. Ben Woodburn also blazed a presentable chance over the bar.The pivotal moment came when Ronan went in recklessly high on Baningime. Greg Aitken showed no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and sending the Irish midfielder off.The red card saw the game descend into a scrappy affair and it was the second-half introduction of Simms that provided the spark Hearts craved.The on-loan Everton striker broke the deadlock on 64 minutes, scrambling home the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Alnwick. Again it was McKay down the left who had created the opening.It could have been 2-0 moments later – Boyce couldn’t get enough contact on a cross from Stephen Kingsley – but Neilson’s men didn’t have to wait long.Baningime slid a pass in behind for Simms, and although Alnwick dashed out to deny him, Devlin reacted fastest to slam home the loose ball. St Mirren appealed for a foul on their goalkeeper, but to no avail.Simms then hit the bar after turning Joe Shaughnessy inside out and despite a late rally from the hosts, they were unable to cut the deficit in front of a frustrated home crowd.Man of the Match – Ellis SimmsThe Hearts substitute bagged the crucial opening goal and was a general nuisance to the St Mirren defenceMore to follow.Player of the matchHalkettCraig Halkettwith an average of 7.68St MirrenSquad number1Player nameAlnwickSquad number21Player nameGreiveSquad number4Player nameShaughnessySquad number2Player nameTaitSquad number13Player nameGogicSquad number22Player nameFraserSquad number6Player namePowerSquad number7Player nameJonesSquad number18Player nameDunneSquad number11Player nameKiltieSquad number43Player nameRonanSquad number8Player nameFlynnSquad number10Player nameMainSquad number9Player nameBrophyHeart of MidlothianSquad number19Player nameHalkettSquad number20Player nameSimmsSquad number14Player nameDevlinSquad number18Player nameMcKaySquad number3Player nameKingsleySquad number6Player nameBaningimeSquad number5Player nameHaringSquad number11Player nameMackay-StevenSquad number17Player nameCochraneSquad number30Player nameGinnellySquad number9Player nameWoodburnSquad number1Player nameGordonSquad number12Player nameAtkinsonSquad number4Player nameSouttarSquad number10Player nameBoyceSquad number16Player nameHallidayLine-upsSt MirrenFormation 4-2-3-11Alnwick22Fraser4Shaughnessy18Dunne2Tait6Power13Gogic11Kiltie43Ronan7Jones21Greive1Alnwick22Fraser4Shaughnessy18Dunne2TaitBooked at 67mins6PowerBooked at 62minsSubstituted forBrophyat 69’minutes13Gogic11KiltieSubstituted forFlynnat 63’minutes43RonanBooked at 22mins7Jones21GreiveSubstituted forMainat 63’minutesSubstitutes3Tanser5McCarthy8Flynn9Brophy10Main12Henderson16Erhahon26Lyness44MillarHeartsFormation 3-4-31Gordon4Souttar19Halkett3Kingsley12Atkinson6Baningime14Devlin11Mackay-Steven9Woodburn10Boyce18McKay1Gordon4Souttar19HalkettBooked at 89mins3KingsleySubstituted forHallidayat 69’minutes12AtkinsonBooked at 27minsSubstituted forCochraneat 56’minutes6Baningime14DevlinBooked at 62minsSubstituted forHaringat 69’minutesBooked at 86mins11Mackay-StevenSubstituted forGinnellyat 55’minutes9WoodburnSubstituted forSimmsat 55’minutes10Boyce18McKaySubstitutes5Haring8McEneff13Stewart15Moore16Halliday17Cochrane20Simms21Sibbick30GinnellyReferee:Greg AitkenAttendance:5,767Live TextMatch ends, St. Mirren 0, Heart of Midlothian 2.Second Half ends, St. Mirren 0, Heart of Midlothian 2.Josh Ginnelly (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Foul by Ryan Flynn (St. Mirren).Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Andrew Halliday.Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by John Souttar.Attempt missed. Barrie McKay (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Liam Boyce.Attempt missed. Alexandros Gogic (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Foul by Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian).Eamonn Brophy (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Attempt missed. Liam Boyce (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Josh Ginnelly.Ellis Simms (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Foul by Alexandros Gogic (St. Mirren).Peter Haring (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.Foul by Peter Haring (Heart of Midlothian).Jordan Jones (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Andrew Halliday.Attempt missed. Jordan Jones (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.Foul by Craig Halkett (Heart of Midlothian).