St Johnstone 3-3 Hearts RECAP: Sean Clare rescues point with injury-time stunner

Hearts travel to McDiarmid Park for this Ladbrokes Premiership encounter. Picture: SNS

Full-time: It's all over at McDiarmid Park. Hearts were dreadful for most of the second half, which was quite at odds with their assured first-half performance. It looked like it was heading for an inevitable defeat before Clare stepped up with a tremendous equaliser to take a point back to Gorgie. And, for the time being, they are off the bottom of the table.

90 min - GOAL FOR HEARTS! And what a goal it was! Clare runs on to the ball around 22 yards from goal and arrows it right into the bottom corner.

89 min - May almost completed his hat-trick with a shot on the bounce from 45 yards. Pereira had to pull off an acrobatic save to stop it.

86 min - Naismith booked for a couple of fouls on a St Johnstone counter.

81 min - A chance for Hearts as Ikpeazu cuts back for Avdijaj. The sub takes too strong a touch and runs out of room for the shot as Clark comes to meet him.

79 min - McCann misses a sitter to bury Hearts after reacting first to a weak parry from Pereira. Hearts make their final change with Avdijaj replacing Henderson.

75 min - Wotherspoon whips in a terrific ball that has to be headed away by Souttar before it gets to O'Halloran.

Sean Clare nets his late strike for Hearts. Picture: SNS

71 min - Hearts have rode the storm a little - basically, St Johnstone no longer look like scoring every time they get the ball - but there's little happening in attack. Stendel makes his second sub, replacing Sibbick for Washington. he goes to right midfield with Naismith playing in the centre.

62 min - Goal for St Johnstone. May puts the hosts in front from the penalty spot after Halkett was adjudged to have fouled Kerr from a set-piece.

59 min - Craig is booked for taking down Boyce as Hearts make their first change. Meshino departs for Ikpeazu with Naismith going to right midfield and Henderson to the left.

58 min - Irving is booked for hacking down Kane after a poor touch.

57 min - It's all St Johnstone here as Ralston hits the bar with a looping shot.

56 min - Another great chance for Saints as a miscommunication between Pereira and Souttar allows Kane to hook goalward. His shot bounces agonisingly towards goal but inches just wide.

52 min - Goal for St Johnstone. It's been coming. May is played in behind Halkett. The striker is held up but manages to find McCann streaking in. His low shot squirms under the outstretched arm of Pereira and into the back of the net. Hearts were down to ten men at the time of the goal with Boyce receiving treatment for a head knock.

50 min - Saints go close again as Wotherspoon curls a shot that inches wide of the far post with Pereira stranded.

48 min - Chance for Saints as a quick free-kick releaes May in behind. The forward has O'Halloran alone at the back post but he decides to shoot. Pereira is able to push it away.

47 min - Halkett with a superb challenge to stop Kane getting a clear shot inside the six-yard box. From there Hearts counter. Boyce hooks a terrific pass through for Henderson. The young winger has Meshino racing in from the other side but doesn't see him in time. It ends disappointingly with the ball played off Henderson for a goal kick.

45 min - St Johnstone get the second half underway. The hosts have made another change with Booth replacing Tanser.

44 min - O'Halloran picks up a booking for hauling down White on a Hearts attack.

42 min - Sub for Saints. O'Halloran replaces Gordon as the hosts revert to a 4-4-2.

41 min - Clare with a great ball up the line for Meshino. The Japanese attacker flashes a low shot across goal that's just out of the reach of Boyce.

38 min - Break in play after a clash of heads between Boyce and Gordon. The Hearts striker is up and appears fine, but the former Tynecastle youngster looks in a bad way and could be coming off.

36 min - Sibbick has a pop from 20 yards and curls narrowly wide.

33 min - Kane has a great chance to level for Saints almost immediately. He can't quite catch his finish, which is saved by Pereira, before Ralston hits the rebound wide.

31 min - GOAL FOR HEARTS! And just like that, it's 2-1 to the away side. Irving's free-kick sees Halkett challenge with Clark. The keeper is able to block the shot, but it only goes as far as Souttar who hooks it back towards goal. It may have been heading in anyway but Naismith is on the scene to make sure, heading into a 2-1 advantage.

25 min - GOAL FOR HEARTS! Irving plays a terrific ball in between the St Johnstone defence for Sibbick. His low cross is then turned into the back of the net by Boyce. It might have hit debutant McCart on the way past Clark, but the Hearts striker is happy to accept the credit for the goal.

22 min - Claims for a penalty in the away end after Henderson plays in Naismith and the striker goes to ground under Kerr's challenge, but it appears that the St Johnstone defender cleanly played the ball before the man.

17 min - Goal St Johnstone. A decent start from the visitors counts for nothing as McCann crosses for May to finish beyond Pereira and into the far corner.

2 min - Meshino gets a little room on the left of the box and tries to curl into the far corner, but it's too high and too wide to trouble Clark.

1 min - Kick-off. Hearts are shooting from left to right.

Hearts team reaction

Unsurprisingly there aren't too many changes from the team that defeated Rangers last weekend. The only alteration from the starting XI is Meshino in for Moore.

Stendel talked in midweek about the team having improved their play off the ball, referencing the win at Tynecastle on Sunday, but they needed more quality when in possession. He was speaking about the need for further attacking signings. Seeing as those didn't transpire, it'll be up to the likes of Meshino, Avdijaj and Walker (who isn't in the squad today) to improve their play from earlier in the campaign.

Today is Meshino's test.

St Johnstone team

Clark; McCart, Gordon, Kerr; Ralston, Craig, McCann, Wotherspoon, Tanser; Kane, May.

Subs: Parish, Booth, Butcher, Hendry, Swanson, O'Halloran, Holt

Hearts team

Pereira; Clare, Halkett, Souttar, White; Meshino, Sibbick, Irving, Henderson; Naismith, Boyce.

Subs: Zlamal, Bozanic, Washington, Ikpeazu, Dikamona, Moore, Avdijaj