Hearts 'can't keep playing with fire' as mistake is costly in Paisley and for Hibs derby

For the third time in 2026, Hearts had a player sent off. And while against Dundee and St Mirren in January, they managed to eke out victories, it was not to be at the SMiSA Stadium. Captain Craig Halkett was dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity on 29 minutes and the visitors’ resistance was finally broken when Miguel Freckleton headed home in the closing stages.

Hearts now could see their lead cut at the top of the Premiership to three points should either Celtic or Rangers defeat Aberdeen or Kilmarnock respectively on Wednesday night. The Jam Tarts’ next game is against Hibs next week - and Halkett will be suspended for that.

“It was tough,” said McInnes. “I thought the lads were everything I expected them to be. It's great to say I'm getting used to playing with 10 men, which obviously we don't want, there's an extra stress on everything.

“We all have to work harder when you've got 10 men, us and the dugout, the lads have to put in that extra shift. I thought we restricted St Mirren to very little, to be honest, I thought the organisation, the spirit of the team was brilliant.

“We just got to win a header there in the dying embers of the game, and we get our point, which it would be hard to deny we didn't deserve based on the spirit and everything else. We've seen before in recent weeks about when we go down to 10 men, I think there's a belief there that we can go and get results, obviously against them one last time out, and I think that showed in the performance when we went down to 10 men. But we've got to own the fact that we can’t keep playing with fire.

“It's a red card, there's no complaint about that, but we caused it, we got ourselves into a fine hole. We've got to play forward, we had two opportunities to play forward, and we get ourselves in a bit of a state, and it culminates in a last-gasp challenge, and we've paid for it.

“But listen, it's hard to criticise, there's no criticising my players once we've got 10 men. We were terrific in terms of what I expect from them and what we've shown over a period now. But we got top of the league by being something, and teams need to know that if they want to come after us, we're going to put it in behind you, we're going to run, we're going to test you, try to put stress on the back line. And then you just might earn the right to play a wee bit more.”