Hearts' Dynamic Duo Steal the Show with 2-0 Victory over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park
Hearts triumph over St Johnstone with late goals from Oda and Shankland, securing a victorious start in the Scottish Premiership What lies ahead for the winning team?
Hearts secured a victorious beginning in the Scottish Premiership by clinching a 2-0 triumph over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, thanks to late goals from Yutaro Oda and Lawrence Shankland. Oda significantly altered the course of the match with a remarkable low shot, leaving Dimitar Mitov helpless, as he found the back of the net with just 15 minutes remaining.
Shankland further exacerbated St Johnstone's misery by scoring a tap-in with virtually the final play of the match, extending the lead.
The Hearts goalkeeper, Zander Clark, made impressive saves earlier in the game to deny Graham Carey and Liam Gordon. Additionally, the visitors' debutant, Kyosuke Tagawa, missed a golden opportunity to score in a one-on-one situation.
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Despite performing strongly for extended periods of the game, St Johnstone's season has started unfavorably with four losses in five matches. These defeats came against Stenhousemuir, Ayr United, and Stirling Albion in the Viaplay Cup.
How Hearts eventually beat St Johnstone
Making a total of six changes, Saints manager Steven MacLean adjusted his team line-up following their 4-0 defeat to Stirling last week. Additionally, new signings Oludare Olufunwa and Sam McClelland marked their debuts during this match.For Hearts, this particular game marked their inaugural competitive fixture of the season, and they too introduced new signings, namely Frankie Kent and Calem Nieuwenhof.
The match was initially delayed by 10 minutes due to a power issue with the VAR technology and the game began without VAR for a short period before the problem was resolved.
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The hosts began the game impressively, with captain Gordon having a missed opportunity to give them an early lead by narrowly redirecting Carey's cross.
Although Hearts started off slowly, they gradually gained momentum after the 20-minute mark. Peter Haring's header from a deflected Nieuwenhof cross went wide, and Nathaniel Atkinson misplaced a low shot from a promising position in the box.
Shankland had an opportunity right before halftime when he connected with Stephen Kingsley's long free-kick, but his volley was too close to Mitov, the goalkeeper for the home team.
In the second half, St Johnstone had the initial opportunity. The energetic Carey took advantage of a weak clearance, cut inside, and unleashed a strong shot with his right foot. However, Clark, the opposing goalkeeper, made a great save to deflect the ball away.
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Clark was once again summoned into action just prior to the one-hour mark. With great skill, he made an outstanding one-handed save to prevent Gordon from scoring with a header. Subsequently, the Hearts defense hastily cleared the ball, averting any imminent threat.
As the second half progressed, Hearts improved significantly. In the 67th minute, Shankland had a golden opportunity to score, connecting with Kingsley's precise low cross. However, his first-time shot was skillfully blocked by Mitov.
Just moments later, Mitov produced an even more impressive save, extending his arm powerfully to prevent substitute Tagawa from scoring as he broke through on goal.
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Mitov's heroics proved in vain, however, as Hearts made the breakthrough in the 75th minute.
Atkinson's well-placed cross found Oda at the back post, displaying calmness as he controlled the ball and unleashed a powerful shot that sailed past the St Johnstone goalkeeper and settled into the bottom left corner. Hearts had opportunities to extend their lead, with attempts from Liam Boyce and Kye Rowles saved by Mitov. However, they sealed the victory in impressive fashion. Substitute Boyce cleverly broke free and set up Shankland, who had no difficulty in finding the back of the net.
What's next?
St Johnstone's next Scottish Premiership match is away to Ross County on August 12.Hearts are at home to Kilmarnock the following day. Both games kick off at 3pm.
