Hearts 2-0 St Mirren: League leaders survive early Beni Baningime red card to record gutsy win
Hearts overcame an early setback to pull off a stunning 2-0 win over St Mirren, restoring their six-point cushion at the top of the William Hill Premiership.
The match was marred by a controversial red card for Beni Baningime after just 15 minutes, leaving Hearts with 10 men and a pumped-up Tynecastle crowd in a state of shock. However, Hearts showed resilience and determination, digging deep to secure a crucial victory with goals from Lawrence Shankland and Tomas Magnusson in the second half.
Derek McInnes' side now has a six-point lead over both Rangers and Celtic, who they will host in their next league match a week on Sunday. The win was a testament to Hearts' fighting spirit and ability to overcome adversity, leaving St Mirren behind in the league table.
Hearts' boss made four changes to the side that started Sunday's victory at Dundee, including handing Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon his first start of the season in place of the suspended Alexander Schwolow. St Mirren made three changes to their starting lineup, with Oisin Smyth returning from loan at Partick.
Hearts seemed spooked initially after the red card, but they soon regained their composure. Claudio Braga had two good chances within a minute, but Hearts' goalkeeper George made vital saves. Just before the break, Alexandros Kyziridis had a chance to put Hearts ahead, but George denied him. The second half saw Hearts start strongly, with Kyziridis and Shankland both having chances, but it was Blair Spittal who broke the deadlock with a low cross for Shankland to prod home. Magnusson then sealed the win with a header in the 80th minute.
Derek McInnes praised his team's performance, saying, "We dug Benny out of a hole tonight, the players. We spoke about that at half-time. The boy was in tears. When we needed a big performance, we delivered it. We just need to keep going."
Hearts' next match will be a crucial test against Rangers and Celtic, and the team will be looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table. The win over St Mirren was a significant step towards that goal, and the team's resilience and determination will be key to their success in the remainder of the season.
