And in a highly entertaining encounter at St Mirren Park, St Mirren and Hearts fought tooth and nail to an exciting 2-2 tie. This result was a second occasion this season that Derek McInnes’ side have lost league points at home. This match put an end to St Mirren’s streak of three straight losses. It brought them to within six points of leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. The final match of the tournament featured all the drama we could hope for, with an equalizer from each team, a missed penalty kick, and baffling VAR confusion.
St Mirren opened the scoring early on in the first half with Dan Nlundulu’s close-range finish. He scored a jaw-dropping volleyed overhead kick from a deep flag kick. Having chested down a pass from his goalkeeper George, he struck the ball beautifully over Hearts’ keeper, Oliver Schwolow. And the hosts’ momentum grew even further when favoured son Miguel Freckleton doubled their lead just a few minutes later.
Hearts responded resolutely. Lawrence Shankland pulled one back with an accurate strike. That goal came when Bani Baningime combined with Lawrence Shankland, who received a quick pass from Alexandros Kyziridis, scoring the third goal with sheer opportunism. Shankland’s ambitious effort reduced the deficit to 2-1, sparking dreams of a remarkable comeback for Hearts.
The Tynecastle club were full of fighting spirit, and Claudio Braga equalised just five minutes later. Braga leapt high to meet a flick-on header that glanced over George and into the back of the net, equalizing at 2-2. Hearts truly put up a magnificent show, their sixth straight game with the same starting XI. This phenomenal accomplishment hasn’t been achieved at the club in almost 40 years.
Although each side could have won it, with some aggravation over two VAR calls. St Mirren had a second goal by Freckleton disallowed after being checked on VAR. For Hearts, there was even more misfortune as they had a late winner from Pierre Landry Kabore disallowed. As for St Mirren, the draw will have them feeling determined to build on that display. They are now preparing for their third Premier Sports Cup semi-final in four years, against Motherwell on Saturday.
Hearts’ Shankland nearly had another just minutes after the break. He hit a hard shot from a sharp angle that went just wide. Oisin McEntee put in a vital block to stop St Mirren’s Mandron from getting a strike off. His contribution was a reflection of the outstanding defending from both sides on display all match long.
The draw underscores how competitive a league this has been in 2023. The two teams have been locked in an intense battle for last place. For Hearts, it is still very much important they stay top of the tree, with an encouraging response needed in upcoming fixtures. Meanwhile, St Mirren’s ability to bounce back from recent defeats provides optimism as they look ahead to their cup tie.
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