ST JOHNSTONE’S players will strive to stay in the SPL so that Martin Hardie can sample top-flight football again, writes Ian Roache.

That was the pledge from team-mate Liam Craig after some of the shine was taken off Saints’ terrific triumph at Tynecastle when it was confirmed that Hardie is ruled out for the season.

The midfielder injured his knee during a bounce game against Falkirk last week and the diagnosis is as grim as it gets—both medial and cruciate ligament damage.

Survival was always the club’s goal for their first campaign back in the SPL and results like Saturday’s 2-1 win over Hearts will help hit that target.

However, there will now be a little more incentive to stay up so that Hardie gets another go at the division next August.

“Martin is a great big lad and is as honest as they come,” said Craig.

“He worked extremely hard to get fit for the SPL. He is 33 years old and to have been competing again at SPL level was a great achievement for him. So it’s a real shame, but the boys will be around about him to help him through the injury.

“I have heard his season is over but hopefully we can remain a premier league club so that when he comes back he will still be a premier league player.

“That is what he deserves.”

McDiarmid manager Derek McInnes’ heart went out to Hardie and he echoed Craig’s words.

“Martin has not only ruptured his medial ligament, he has ruptured his cruciate too,” said McInnes.

“We just need to try and make sure that when he does come back fit we are still an SPL team.”

It was unfortunate that some bad news had to follow what had been a great game for the Perth men.

They struggled to get going in the first half and fell behind to a wonder strike from Christain Nade, his first counter for nine months.

But it was all change in the second period and they grabbed a deserved equaliser on the hour when the excellent Collin Samuel nodded home a perfect cross from Filipe Morais.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men when defender Jose Goncalves was sent off by official Stevie O’Reilly for a high-footed challenge on Craig.

Hearts were not happy and the Saints sub, who had come on for Morais, revealed he wasn’t hurt in the incident.

Nevertheless, Craig was not surprised when the red card was shown.

“The ball bounced towards me and I saw Sammy running in behind Goncalves,” said Craig.

“I went to head the ball on and saw his big size 12 (boot) coming towards me.

“He was running at a fair pace. I am six-foot tall and didn’t bend down any. I think he did try to play the ball and I don’t think it was deliberate.

“Obviously the referee saw the intent was there and that is why he was sent off.

“It is up to the referee to decide whether or not it was a red card.”

The victory was clinched by Jonatan Johansson’s first goal for Saints two minutes from time.

Craig was situated perfectly at the far post to nod back Jody Morris’s cross into the Finn’s path for the tap-in.

“We weren’t great in the first half but in the second we looked after the ball better and were very brave,” added Craig.

“To go one goal down at Tynecastle and come back and win is terrific.

“It was also brilliant for JJ to get his first goal for the club and hopefully that will give him confidence to get some more.

“I didn’t see him initially and just stuck the ball across goal. I then watched him stick it in the net after checking with the linesman that he was onside.”

Manager McInnes correctly pointed out that his players were not at the races in the first period but they galloped away from the opposition after the interval.

“I was disappointed with the first-half performance,” said the Perth boss.

“I didn’t think we asked enough questions of them and I felt we fell in love with the longer ball to Kenny Deuchar.

“But the response in the second half was great. They were brave and played the game properly.

“I felt we thoroughly deserved the win. I think the game did swing a lot more towards us when they went down to 10 men.

“But I did think that we had the momentum and played the majority of the game in their half.”

Meanwhile, there were post-match rumours that under-fire Hearts gaffer Csaba Laszlo had quit.

They were quickly denied, with a Hearts spokesman saying, “He has 100% not resigned.”

But the speculation was reflective of the current state of the Edinburgh club, who finished the best of the rest outwith the Old Firm just last May.

Laszlo, who has become increasingly frustrated with the lack of depth in his squad, held a 10-minute discussion with owner Vladimir Romanov over the phone immediately after the defeat.

The call made Laszlo late for his press briefing where he stressed he wanted talks with the board, chiefly to secure the two strikers he covets in the January transfer window.

“It’s not a nice afternoon,” he said.

“We must accept the reality. We are at the moment in a position I don’t wish to be (in) and we are closer to the bottom than the top. This is the reality.

“Last season was a great season but I don’t like to go back. I know why we stay where we stay. I think everybody knows this but I don’t like to talk about this.

“I would like to see some people come out and say this is the situation.

“I would like to talk with the board as soon as possible, about what is important. I also have my opinion and tried to sit together with the board this week.”