Hearts secured a “really big three points” away to St Johnstone thanks to a double from Elton Kabangu, and Neil Critchley urged them to keep moving up the William Hill Premiership table.
The Jambos, who were at the bottom of the league as recently as December 22, pulled off a 2-1 victory at rain-soaked McDiarmid Park, moving up from 10th to seventh position.
The outcome puts Hearts four points clear of local rivals Hibernian and one point ahead of sixth-place St. Mirren, who they will play over the course of the next week as they attempt to qualify for Europe.
According to manager Critchley, “the pitch and the conditions made it a challenging game.” “As in every game we’ve played against St Johnstone, we’ve had to win by narrow margins and battle it out, but after losing (to Rangers) last week, it’s a crucial three points.
That well prepares us for a significant week. We simply need to continue winning football games.
“With nine points to play for—six now, of course—it’s the beginning of a crucial week, and what the league looks like at the end of the match at Hibs next Sunday might change.
“This is a really big three points. If you keep winning games, the league table will take care of itself.”
Kabangu bounced back from a string of missed chances against Rangers last Sunday to take his tally to seven since joining on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise last month with his third double in just six starts.
“I’m so pleased for Elton,” said Critchley. “He’s such a positive guy, so infectious, exactly the type of person we want to bring to Hearts, with that character.
“He was disappointed after last week, naturally, but he bounced back today because of his mentality, which is outstanding.”
Hearts were indebted to goalkeeper Craig Gordon for pulling off what Critchley described as “an incredible save, a match-winning save” to deny Sam Curtis just after Adama Sidibeh’s equaliser and moments before Kabangu’s decisive strike.
Saints, who remain six points adrift at the bottom of the table, were also left to rue the contentious decision to chalk off what would have been an equaliser from Drey Wright for offside in the 68th minute.
“Hearts’ goalkeeper makes a wonderful reflex save, and then, as happens in football, the next attack the opponent will score, and that happened,” said Saints manager Simo Valakari. “That hurts, but that’s football.
“These are small margins. We believe that in these last 11 games, they will turn in our favour. If not, then of course it’s not easy to win these matches if you don’t get these small margins on your side.”
