HEARTS made life difficult for themselves on their return to the Premiership, but in the end did just enough to claim all three points against a spirited St Johnstone. Robbie Neilson’s team were pegged back from 3-1 up to 3-3 with a dozen minutes to go, but Sam Nicholson soon restored their lead. The home defence looked nervous under the high ball, but they held off a late onslaught to claim the win.

Hearts opened the scoring after four minutes thanks to a mistake by their former defender Brad McKay. His slip allowed Juanma to claim possession around 30 yards out then race on into the box before slotting home. St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Mannus got a strong touch on the Spaniard’s shot but could not keep it out.

After that early setback, the visitors looked dangerous for much of the first half and had a couple of good chances to equalise. Simon Lappin saw a shot cleared off the line by Alim Ozturk, and then Sam Nicholson had to clear acrobatically from a John Sutton header.

Saints were still very much in the match at half-time, but soon after the restart they found themselves two down. Juanma broke from deep within his own half and passed to Nicholson, who was brought down in the box by Lappin. The goalkeeper, who was only yellow-carded for the offence, saved Osman Sow’s penalty, but Jamie Walker followed up to slam the ball high into the net.

That might have been game over, but Saints pulled a goal back a few minutes later. A Joe Shaughnessy throw-in caused problems, and as the Hearts defence hesitated, apparently looking for a foul, Neil Alexander failed to clutch the ball. The goalkeeper’s uncertain effort went only as far as Lappin, who tapped in from three or four yards out.

Angered by that lapse in concentration, Hearts upped the tempo and got their reward when Callum Paterson scored from close range after Jamie Walker had made good ground in the box. Nicholson soon had an excellent chance to make it four after getting the better of Tam Scobbie in the box, but he curled his shot wide.

Sutton pulled a goal back with a glancing header, then substitute Graham Cummins equalised from close range two minutes later after the Hearts defence failed to deal with a low cross. The momentum seemed to have swung in St Johnstone’s direction, but within a minute Nicholson restored Hearts’ lead from a Paterson cross.