St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson was full of praise for his players following their hard-fought 1–0 victory over Hearts. “I thought the energy levels from the players tonight were outstanding, especially after what we put into the game on Saturday. I felt we deserved to win the game with eleven men. We showed patience, moved the ball well and created a lot of opportunities. We probably should have scored more,” he said.
Robinson acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down a well-organised Hearts side. “Hearts are a very hard team to break down. They are top of the league for a reason. We learned our lessons from earlier in the season and showed much more patience tonight. We created chance after chance, particularly in the second half.”
The manager highlighted the work rate of his squad as a key factor in securing the win. “The boys were running as hard in the 90th minute as they were in the first. That is when you know you are going to turn things in your favour. We looked like ourselves again tonight. We looked like the St Mirren team people find difficult to play against.”
Robinson was particularly impressed with the performance of young midfielder Jacob Devaney – on loan from Manchester United. “Jacob gave us a calmness in midfield that we maybe have not had since Keanu Baccus got injured. For a young lad, he did real first-team things and handled the basics really well. He comes game-ready, and that is a rare quality,” he explained.
Reflecting on the decisive goal, Robinson said, “I had belief that the goal would come if we stayed patient. It was particularly sweet to win the game with a set-play. That delivery was outstanding, and it was a great finish. Until it was confirmed, I did not really want to celebrate. That has been the story of our season.”
Looking ahead, Robinson stressed the importance of maintaining momentum. “You can see the confidence growing with each performance. Over the last four games, you can feel something building. We just focus on winning the next game. That is all that matters,” he added.
Featured image: Scotland Sky
Callum McFadden 