Derek McInnes acknowledged that Hearts were dealt a harsh lesson for “playing with fire” as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to St Mirren, marked by a third red card in five matches.
Craig Halkett was sent off for the Premiership leaders in the 29th minute for bringing down Jacob Devaney just outside the penalty area, a consequence of a misstep from his defensive partner, Stuart Findlay.
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While a depleted Hearts managed victories against both Dundee and St Mirren earlier this month, they struggled to secure a win this time around, with Miguel Freckleton’s late header in the 88th minute leading to their third league loss of the season.
Despite the setback, Hearts still hold a six-point lead over Celtic and Rangers, who are set to play on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen how we can respond to going down to ten men in recent weeks, and I think that belief was evident in our performance after the red card,” McInnes commented.
“However, we must take responsibility and recognize that we can’t keep getting away with it; we can’t keep playing with fire.”
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“There’s no arguing about the red card; it was warranted. But we set ourselves up for that situation and made crucial errors.”
“We had two chances to play the ball forward, but we ended up in a bit of chaos, which led to a desperate challenge, and we paid for it.”
“From that moment on, it was just about maintaining a clean sheet for as long as possible and hoping for a chance at the other end.”
McInnes expressed pride in his team’s effort following Halkett’s dismissal but felt frustration over Freckleton’s goal from a set piece.
“It was challenging because we invested so much into this match,” he reflected.
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“Once we went down to ten men, I believed the players delivered exactly what I expected. We limited St Mirren’s chances significantly.”
“Ironically, we inadvertently conceded a corner that led to their goal after the ball was headed out for a goal kick. If we had managed to win that late header, we would have secured a point that I think we deserved based on our spirit and determination.”
“But ultimately, we failed to defend properly, didn’t attack the ball correctly, and it ended up in the back of the net, leaving us empty-handed for our efforts.”
Analysis: Hearts ‘passive’ and ‘far from their best’
Former Hearts forward Ryan Stevenson: “Many will point to the sending off as the turning point. But honestly, the entire match was pivotal from the start. This was the poorest I’ve seen them perform all season.”
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“The sending off was disastrous. Watching the footage afterward, I can only imagine they felt embarrassed. So many poor decisions were made.”
“They struggled to hold the ball up front and didn’t make the necessary runs to challenge the opposition.”
“Hearts were too passive, allowing St Mirren to dominate and win every second ball in midfield.”
“Such performances happen, and many will be eager to claim this is the beginning of a downturn. It’s been 40 years since Aberdeen found themselves in this position, so the situation is new for everyone.”
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“If I were Derek McInnes, I would say, ‘Take the weekend off, as there’s a big derby on Tuesday night to bounce back from this.’ ”
“They still control their destiny. While there’s no reason for despair, they must regroup and ensure that such a performance is not repeated.”
Former St Mirren striker Steven Thompson: “There will be significant ups and downs before the season concludes. Tonight might be a minor setback for Hearts, but it’s nearly impossible to win every match.”
“Between now and the end of the season, teams like Motherwell will take points off Rangers, Celtic, and Hearts; they will all contest against each other.”
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“Hearts have raised the performance bar so high, and it was surprising to see them fall short this time. Sometimes, when a team struggles, a couple of players can underperform. Unfortunately, there were too many passengers tonight. This is rare for Hearts, but when it happens, winning becomes difficult.”