16/08/2025 – HEARTS (H)

On a scorching day in Paisley, Saints negotiated this 2nd round tie against much fancied Hearts via the unlikely route (for us) of penalty kicks.

This was our 2nd penalty shoot out of the season, having lost one against Arbroath, and our 2nd against Hearts this calendar year, having lost that one in a Scottish Cup tie.

Although the weather couldn’t have been more different between the two Hearts cup matches this year, the pattern of play was similar and the score after 90 and 120 minutes exactly the same, 1-1.

Similarly to the Scottish Cup tie, Saints started strongly and the first half undoubtedly belonged to the Paisley men, dominating all over the park, winning the majority of 50/50’s and were first to most of the “second balls”.

Killian Phillips almost gave Saints the lead midway through the half with a thunderous long range drive that Zander Clarke parried, but the home fans didn’t have much longer to wait for what seemed like an inevitable break through, when Alex Gogic popped up 10 minutes later to put us in front.

Phillips was again involved, opting to play a short free kick to Declan John, and the Welshman floated in a teasing cross which the Cypriot acrobatically volleyed beyond Clarke for a sensational opener.

Phillips almost doubled the lead just after half time when his volley was turned wide by Clarke, but like that Scottish Cup match earlier in the season, Saints began to tire early in the 2nd half, which was completely understandable given the intensity of the “press” and the weather.

This finally allowed Hearts into the match, and for the last half hour of the regulation 90 minutes, Saints sat deep to protect their lead.

Despite plenty of possession, Hearts only looked threatening from set pieces, and equalised from a corner kick, when McAtee headed home at the back post with 12 minutes remaining, in a suspiciously similar way to Ayr United scoring against us earlier in the competition.

And that was pretty much it. Saints looked very tired in extra time, but the team remained structured with plenty of fight and comfortably seen out the additional period.

Hearts, who been hyped up by the media as potential splitters of the Glasgow clubs this season following some pretty incredible predictions by their new minority shareholder Tony Bloom, who believes they will be champions of Scotland by 2035.

On the Consilium bus on the way to the match, this hyperbole around Hearts was broadcast to the nation, when pundits on Radio Scotland suggested it would be a “shock” if Saints progressed.

There was laughter in the bus following this bold prediction, mainly when you consider the respective league positions last season, our home form, and our uncanny ability to beat Hearts in one off matches.

However to do so, we now needed to win a penalty shoot, which probably didn’t exactly fill the Saints fans with confidence considering our record of taking penalties recently.

We shouldn’t have worried.

Hearts went first, when Lawrence Shankland took a break from being referee for the afternoon, to slot home for the visitors. For Saints, Richard King replied with a low shot that went under the diving Clarke. They all count though.

Kingsley and Marcus Fraser then expertly converted for each side, before what turned out to be the deciding kick by Hearts new cult hero, Claudio Braga.

His low penalty was hit firmly enough, but Shamal George pulled off an outstanding stop to his left hand side by getting a strong hand to the ball to keep it out. Roland Idowu hammered home Saints advantage with as clinical an effort we will ever see, to put us 3-2 up with 3 kicks taken each.

Alan Forrest and then Evan Mooney brilliantly converted, meaning we were down to the last two kicks. Benji Baningime kept Hearts in it with their last penalty to make it 4-4, and with just one remaining of the initial 10, Malik Dijksteel had the opportunity to take Saints into the quarter finals.

Having played a total of 17 minutes for Saints since joining from Cork City on the last day of July, there wasn’t a lot to judge the Dutch winger on, but we shouldn’t have worried and he cracked his penalty into the corner of net to win the tie, and we were finally through.

Joy Division was played over the celebrations, a now traditional friendly “goodbye” to Hearts fans and players on such occasions, and a very tired squad of Saints players appreciated the well deserved applause of the home supporters.

A good day in Paisley. We aren’t quite up to full speed yet, but the first hour of the game is probably the best we’ve played so far this season and we believe without doubt there is MUCH MORE to come from this team in the coming weeks and months.

Rangers are next. The Ibrox club changed their minds about postponing this game to prepare for a European qualifier, as they are concerned about going 7 points behind Celtic in August.

Considering they lost twice to Saints last season and got a fortunate draw in the final game between the sides, the assumption they will take 3 points from Paisley as we are nine games unbeaten at the SMISA, is certainly an eye opener!

If you can, get down to the stadium next Sunday and roar the team to victory!

COYS!

Hearts Players of the Match:

5 points – Alex Gogic

3 points – Miguel Freckleton

1 point – Shamal George

Check our the Player of the Season race here –

PLAYER OF THE SEASON 2025/26