Robinson's 'biggest achievement' leaves Hearts 'frustrated'

Two sides went into nan last crippled earlier nan Scottish Premiership divided pinch a chance to unafraid a top-six decorativeness for a 3rd play successful a row.

And, aft a topsy turvy time erstwhile some had a ft successful nan apical half, it was St Mirren head Stephen Robinson who was celebrating "my biggest achievement" arsenic Heart of Midlothian counterpart Neil Critchley was near "very frustrated".

A triumph complete nan Edinburgh broadside would person taken Motherwell supra some had St Mirren besides lost, but astatine nary shape of nan day did Michael Wimmers' broadside frighten to upset nan odds.

So really did St Mirren do it - and what does it mean for nan 2 losers?

Three wins successful their latest 8 Premiership games is hardly world-beating form, but it was still capable for St Mirren to overhaul Hearts and Motherwell.

Both protagonists astatine Fir Park headed into their crippled connected nan backmost of 2 defeats and Hearts vanished it having grounded to triumph immoderate of their latest 3 convention games, while Motherwell are now without a triumph successful four.

Despite truthful overmuch astatine stake, Well grounded to muster an effort connected target against a Hearts broadside who themselves person grounded to people successful their latest 3 games.

That is simply a tally of 303 minutes without a extremity - nan longest Hearts person waited to find nan nett since a tally of 4 games successful 2018.

Such has been their profligacy that skipper Lawrence Shankland, not truthful agelong agone called up by Scotland and touted for a transportation to Rangers, has been dropped to nan chair for nan past 2 games earlier being called connected for illustration nan cavalry successful a desparate 2nd half astatine Fir Park.

Despite their ain stalemate, Hearts were heading for nan apical six until St Mirren levelled County's early opener aft 50 minutes - and again erstwhile Jason White equalised for nan visitors conscionable aft nan hr mark.

However, substitute Roland Idowu's 86th-minute sparked chaotic celebrations successful Paisley earlier nan last whistle astatine Fir Park was greeted pinch dismay by some sets of supporters.

For Robinson, nan apical six was not only achieved against nan likelihood successful position of playing budgets but besides aft a play during which he mislaid 3 cardinal players amid off-field tribunal cases.

"To do it 3 years successful a statement is an unthinkable accomplishment for this shot club," nan Northern Irishman said.

"This is my biggest achievement. People will say, 'you sewage to cup finals and sewage to Europe'. The problems we faced they don't thatch you connected nan pro licence.

"Nothing has gone our measurement this season, thing has fallen for america - we've had to conflict and scrap for everything."

Robinson revealed that he had asked that cipher would show him, aliases his bench, nan people from Fir Park.

"When we scored nan 3rd goal, I did inquire nan mobility and it was panic stations," he admitted.

"If you are going to do it, it's a awesome measurement to do it. If personification had told maine beforehand that's really we'd get successful nan apical six, past awesome - but it was heart-attack worldly astatine stages.

"The boys stayed composed and kept believing."

Former St Mirren midfielder Stephen McGinn says it shows why Robinson is "so highly regarded" by nan club.

"They person fixed him a semipermanent contract, they cognize he's building something," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

McGinn pointed retired that galore had scoffed erstwhile past main executive Tony Fitzpatrick had suggested St Mirren ought to beryllium regularly qualifying for European football.

"He appointed a head he believed could present that - and he has," he said.

"It's been specified a rollercoaster of season, but nan manager's been nan 1 changeless thoroughout it. He's stayed really calm and he's sewage his reward.

"Starts disconnected pinch nan first games backmost successful Europe successful 30-odd years. They person rode their luck a spot pinch results going successful their favour complete nan past mates of weeks, but back-to-back wins complete Rangers and finishing successful nan apical six 3 seasons successful a statement connected a constricted fund - unbelievable from Stephen Robinson."

While Critchley has lifted Hearts disconnected nan bottommost of nan array since being appointed caput coach successful October, he was forced to admit nan anger from nan distant extremity connected what he conceded was "a hugely disappointing day".

"We're each frustrated, massively frustrated," he said. "It's not conscionable connected today. You've sewage to look astatine different performances and different games that we could person possibly sewage thing from."

Hearts miss retired contempt looking connected people for nan apical six aft defeating St Mirren 3-1 astatine nan extremity of February.

"I don't deliberation there's a batch gone wrong," Critchley said. "We've shown a batch of advancement and this crippled can't specify america arsenic a group aliases our season."

Former Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart has "got immoderate sympathy" for nan Englishman.

"I do deliberation he has improved things, but location are basal flaws successful that squad," he said.

Stewart, not for nan first time, highlighted nan deficiency of gait and nan request for a striker to thief during Shankland's downturn successful form, problems not solved during Critchley's first transportation model successful January.

"Why nan nine ne'er signed different striker is beyond me," he said. "I deliberation that's nan root of a batch of nan problems here.

"It's go a runaway train and Lawrence Shankland hasn't been capable to steer it backmost connected track."

Critchley pointed retired that he has a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen to look guardant to, but Hearts are now only six points clear of Dundee successful nan relegation play-off spot having played a crippled more.

"The bottommost six is going to beryllium an absolute bloodbath," Stewart predicted. "The chances of Hearts being relegated are very slim, but nan despondency that will beryllium surrounding Tynecastle will beryllium huge."

As for Motherwell, nan BBC pundits were unaninimous that, whether aliases not they debar relegation, Wimmer's summertime task will beryllium to drastically trim a bloated squad of 36 players.

The Austrian, who was appointed successful February aft Stuart Kettlewell's resignation, was philosophical astir missing retired connected nan apical six.

"To beryllium honest, I person nary logic to beryllium disappointed, because we could not power nan St Mirren result," he said. "In nan end, I tin opportunity it was successful galore periods a bully capacity from us.

"I saw disappointed players successful nan dressing room, which I tin understand because they person been present for 33 games and, for me, it's only 7 games."