ST Johnstone suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday 29 August 2026. The promoted side conceded twice in the first half at Tynecastle, with a debut own goal from Bosnian defender Enes Alic proving decisive.
The loss leaves ST Johnstone sixth in the Premiership table with three points from two games, having scored and conceded four goals so far this season. They are three points behind leaders Celtic. The match report was first published by Sky Sports.
How did the first-half goals change the game?
Hearts took control early. They opened the scoring in the ninth minute. James Wilson found the net after Josh McPake capitalised on a loose pass from ST Johnstone defender Zach Mitchell. The home side dominated the first period and had a Laurent Mendy header ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Toby Steward.
The second goal arrived in the 39th minute and was a cruel blow for the visitors. A Jordi Altena free-kick was turned into his own net by Enes Alic, who was making his first appearance for ST Johnstone. Manager Simo Valakari later acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. "To concede two goals in the first half, of course it's a mountain to climb," he said.
What was ST Johnstone's response after the break?
ST Johnstone, playing their first match in three weeks, showed more fight after halftime. They pulled a goal back just three minutes into the second half. Ruari Paton scored, assisted by Sam Stanton, to give the Perth side hope.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser and came close when a Stuart Findlay deflection went narrowly wide of the target. They applied significant pressure during the closing stages at Tynecastle. However, Hearts held firm and even hit the crossbar through Blair Spittal late on.
What does this result mean for the league standings?
The victory lifted Hearts to second place in the Premiership, continuing their strong start. For ST Johnstone, the defeat is a setback but they remain in the top half early in the campaign. Their next fixture is a home match against Dundee United on 17 October. United currently sit 11th in the table, making it an important opportunity for ST Johnstone to return to winning ways.
Fans can track the team's progress and view the full schedule on our fixtures page. The current league standings also show the tight nature of the early-season Premiership race.
