The Hearts juggernaut continues as Shankland hits 50

It was far from a classice but the win keeps Hearts 12 points clear in third place and is the ninth win in the last 10 in all competitions.

Joel and James review the game at McDiarmid Park.

READ MORE: Alan Forrest: The most improved Hearts star who is becoming undroppable

Dull match but who cares?

This was clearly a game that neither side was willing to lose. The opening five or 10 minutes were encouraging from a maroon perspective, with the hosts barely touching the ball and Hearts setting the early tempo, but the match soon descended into a war of attrition.

Both sides were resolute in their determination not to concede first. So much so, in fact, that neither had seriously threatened the other’s goal by the time the half-time whistle rang out at McDiarmid Park. Instead, both teams adopted similar defensive strategies: sit off, sit deep, and whatever you do, don’t commit. Both Hearts and St Johnstone were relying on their shape to keep their opponents at bay, and space was at a premium when attacking.

There was no room to play in, so it should come as little surprise that there wasn’t much attacking football being played. This was a drawn-out battle, one where both sides were trying to grind each other down, and it looked to be heading towards stalemate. If there was going to be a winner it was either going to arrive via a moment of magic, an individual error, or some combination of the two. As he so often does, it was Shankland who lit up this match with a terrific solo goal – a rare bright spark in a dour contest.

This was another step taken towards third, another three points gained, and – most importantly of all – another game where Hearts found a way past a challenging opponent. It’s quickly becoming a happy habit. Twelve wins in 15 league games, nine wins on the road, five in a row. The Gorgie Juggernaut.

The half-century

It was only a matter of time. It was inevitable. It is Lawrence Shankland.

A long ball from Frankie Kent was turned from little chance into 1-0 Hearts. He used his body to ease away from Andy Considine, as he did at the weekend to Owen Dodgson. He then prodded it past Ryan McGowan before having the composure to place the ball beyond Dimitar Mitov. It all looked so simple. It wasn't. But that's Shankland's quality. He turns scraps into a banquet as bountiful as the one imagined by The Lost Boys in Hook.

Seventeen goals in his last 18 appearances for the club. And, of course, it was number 50 for Hearts. He now enters a pantheon of greats to have reached the half-century for the club and is now in the top 10 in terms of fastest of all time. In hitting 50 in his first two seasons at the club, he became the first to do so since the great Willie Bauld. That was done nearly 75 years ago.

It is hard to remember a more influential and important individual to a Hearts side than Shankland is currently. Hearts are still a good team without him. But he takes them to another level. A level where no matter what the team always have a chance with him around. 

He's now up to six match-winning goals in the league. At the time of writing no other player has more than two.

READ MORE: Craig Levein: Hearts are by far the third-best team in Scotland

Non-scoring first half

Lawrence Shankland's header at the back post against St Mirren in the 33rd minute of the Premiership fixture on December 23. The last time Hearts scored in the first half of a league encounter. Since then 14 goals have come after the interval. Steven Naismith's men have not failed to score in the first 45 minutes for seven games running. 

During that time it has been a mixed bag in terms of performances. There have been times when the team have been miles off it, namely in the first half against Dundee and Aberdeen at home. At Easter Road, it was a typical edgy Edinburgh derby. Hearts were much improved at Dens Park, created chances but fell behind. In Perth, the team started well. In the first 10 minutes, they dominated the ball and controlled the tempo of the game. But they didn't create many openings for their dominance.

St Johnstone built into the game with their play orchestrated by Graham Carey at the base of the midfield, while Benjamin Kimpioka was an awkward threat in the final third. The Swede's pace and presence unnerved the Hearts defence as he got the better of Frankie Kent on a couple of occasions with Stephen Kingsley producing a big challenge at one stage.

The half was instantly forgettable and ended with just one shot on target.

Fraser's start

After making his Hearts debut off the bench in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Dundee, Scott Fraser found himself pitched into the starting XI at McDiarmid Park for a first start. Playing alongside Calem Nieuwenhof with Beni Baningime sitting behind them, it was the on-loan Charlton man’s job to provide some creativity at the heart of midfield.

It’s fair to say he struggled to fashion opportunities, but the same could be said of everyone else on the park. It was a congested game, where gaps in the Saints defence were hard to come by, and so Fraser struggled to make his mark.

The 28-year-old is still getting up to speed after featuring sporadically for Charlton during the first half of the season, and he was understandably still a little rusty here. At one point in the first half, he found himself slipped through into the St Johnstone box by Kenneth Vargas and was offered a rare sight at goal. Instead of getting his shot away, Fraser dallied on the ball before cutting the ball back to no one.

There were one or two slack passes in the final third – again, the same charge could be levied at everyone else on the park – and Steven Naismith appeared to want more on the defensive side. The midfielder was struggling to get near Graham Carey and swapped places with the more energetic Kenneth Vargas to combat the midfielder’s threat.

All in all, it was a fairly quiet night for the new Hearts man. He could have offered more, but one gets the impression that the best is yet to come.

Points total target

Across the past nine Premiership games, Hearts have averaged 2.78 points per game. Continue that quite ludicrous form across the remainder of the season the Tynecastle Park men would finish the season on 84 points!

Now, let's face it. That's hardly realistic. But if we were to extrapolate the average points per game total of the whole season, Hearts are on course to finish with 72 points. That would bring the third-best points return in the club's history. Of course, a large chunk of that was played when two points were awarded for a win. Three points for a win came in for the 1994/95 season.

The only two seasons when the points total has been higher are the Championship winning campaign under Robbie Neilson in 2014/15 with 91. And the 2005/06 campaign when the team finished second with 74. 

Considering the start of the season, the doubts and the criticism, if the team finished with 70 or more points it would be an incredible achievement. And you get the feeling this team won't want to take the foot off the gas.