Stephen Robinson said Lawrence Shankland was the difference and admitted his side "got what we deserved" as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle Park.

The Hearts captain netted twice with goals either side of the interval. It was a result which saw Steven Naismith's side take sole control of third place.

READ MORE: Hearts take command of 3rd: Big result, inevitable Shankland, shape, Halkett start

“Lawrence has scored a lot of goals at the back post and we pointed that out - but we go in 1-0 down," Robinson said. “That’s not because they’ve opened us up, it’s because of our lack of quality in the final third and our decision making.

“Lawrence’s second goal is exceptional and it changes any momentum that we had. That is the difference between the levels. We are trying to bridge a gap where there is a huge financial disparity, which is why you get players like Lawrence Shankland.

“The goal is an incredible finish and that’s the difference between the levels. His forward play was the difference.  We have players who can show quality but they didn’t today. They are honest boys and will put their hands up because it’s not through lack of effort. But we have better quality than what we showed.

“If you do that, and then lose from a set-play, you don’t deserve to win the game."

He added: “Nobody stood up and said, ‘I’ll be the main man..I’ll be the Lawrence Shankland of our team’."

READ MORE: Interest in Shankland and tactical tweaks against St Mirren - Steven Naismith Q&A

Robinson was happy with the way his team went about making it difficult for Hearts but in the end "got what we deserved".

“We pressed well in the first half, won the ball back on numerous occasions and they didn’t have a shot on target other than the goal," he said. “But when we landed on the ball, we didn’t penetrate or deliver balls into the box with any quality. That’s disappointing because we are better than that.

“We lacked the quality and then lost a goal from a set-play, which has been our Achilles heel. When you look at the organisation and detail we go into, there is a frustration."

He added: “Expectations have risen because we have been able to bridge the gap between Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen - big clubs with huge resources. We have bridged the gap to an extent through hard work, organisation and quality. But we are better than we showed in the final third."