HEART FAILURE IS FATAL FOR SAINTS

Jambos loss sends Simo's boys down

- FRASER WILSON AT TYNECASTLE

DOWN and out. A 16-year stay in the top flight came to a brutal end for St Johnstone as they were beaten by merciless Hearts - while a last-gasp Ross County goal at Dens plunged the knife in.

It was as painful an end as the 750 travelling fans could ever have imagined. But in the final analysis Saints simply weren't good enough.

Hearts blazed ahead in the 17th minute - and to match the Perth men’s sense of despair it arrived off the boot of one of their own.

Harry Milne, in for his home debut, raced down the left flank and his cross was turned into his own net by Barry Douglas as he desperately tried to stop Lawrence Shankland poking home.

If that was a sickener, Saints were heading down when Alan Forrest doubled the Jambos' lead.

Shankland threaded a ball neatly into the winger's path and as he broke into the box he fired across Andy Fisher and inside the far post. Saints fans were already praying for favours in Tayside.