Despite playing well last week, Scott Cuthbert was dropped by Saints boss Gus MacPherson, with Will Haining taking his place. The on loan Celtic man wasn't even on the bench, perhaps suggesting he was injured. That was the only change to the side that did so well against Hibs last Saturday, but sadly the performance was nowhere near as good.
There were few chances in the early stages. Christian Nade shot weakly at Howard in the first minute before Haining headed a corner well over. Steven Robb also shot over before some light entertainment in the form of Jack Ross sending Andrew Driver into a puddle and someone managing to head the ball back in after it had gone out of play.
The only shot of note from a dull first half came with ten minutes remaining until the break, with Franco Miranda letting fly with a long range shot that just went wide. Then the controversy.
Hearts attack after another Saints move broke down (surprise, surprise). Stewart played the ball out to Driver before continuing his run forward. At the edge of the penalty area he had a coming together with Hugh Murray before doing something that enraged the Saints support. I missed it but it seemed that he aimed a kick at Shuggy. The ball went out and Hearts were given a corner, before referee Mike McCurry talked to numerous people but took no action. Play was stopped while he talked to more players before he noticed fourth official Bobby Madden trying to attract his attention. Over he wandered, had a chat and then sent Stewart off. The Hearts fans were furious - and even angrier when they had their corner taken away from them and we were given a free-kick instead!
Nothing else happened before the break, when Saints put on Andy Dorman for Garry Brady. They should have taken the lead just a few minutes later, Dorman passing to Wyness who played in Mehmet, only for the striker to put his shot wide. In fairness, he was stretching for it but he should still have hit the target.
Hearts seemed to take some hope from that let off and Bruno Aguiar was unlucky to see his long range shot go just wide. Wyness headed a free-kick over before he was replaced with Jim Hamilton and a short while later Craig Dargo came on for Mehmet. This was odd. We're drawing against ten men (who, in fairness, were looking far more dangerous when they went forward than we were) so why not go for it with 20 minutes left? Play three up front and something will maybe happen. But no, we stuck to the same formation and it produced the same outcome - no chances, no shots and no goals.
There was one for Hearts though. Just over 12 minutes from time Robbie Neilson went down a little easily under Miranda's challenge. Driver whipped in the free-kick and Eggert Jonsson headed it past Howard. MacPherson has moaned in the past that we are dodgy at free-kicks as we lack tall players - so why was Hamilton at the halfway line when the free-kick was taken!
Things were very nearly a lot worse moments later when Driver took another good set piece, this time a corner, only for Christophe Berra to head wide.
You'd have thought this might have woken Saints up - but it didn't. The same slow, deliberate passing, the same poor play up front. The players weren't willing to shoot, the crossing was poor and, all in all, it was a very poor performance. The worry a few months ago was what would happen if Mehmet stopped scoring. Well, he has - and so have we. No goals for three and a half games is not good and we're sliding down the table.
Our next three games see us go to Aberdeen and Rangers before facing Celtic at home. It's hard to see where the next win, or even goal, is going to come from.