St Mirren Stun Hearts With Dramatic Late Winner

It was a night packed with drama, tension, and a fair bit of surprise at the SMiSA Stadium as St Mirren pulled off a determined 1-0 victory over Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts on February 2, 2026. The Buddies, who had been desperately searching for a spark after a lengthy winless run, found it in the most dramatic fashion—thanks to an 88th-minute header from defender Miguel Freckleton. For Hearts, who had arrived in Paisley with the chance to surge nine points clear at the top, the evening rapidly unravelled, and the repercussions could echo through the title race for weeks to come.

This clash had all the makings of a routine evening for the Jambos. Hearts had been in red-hot form, winning seven of their previous nine league matches and boasting the best away record in the division. St Mirren, by contrast, were languishing after eight games without a win and had only managed to find the net 19 times in 24 matches—one of the league’s lowest tallies. The odds, the form, and the stakes all pointed one way. But football rarely follows the script.

From the outset, St Mirren were the sharper side. The hosts pressed with intent, harried every Hearts touch, and carved out the better chances. Alex Gogic came close early, looping a header over, and the Buddies’ energy seemed to catch Hearts off guard. The visitors, who had been so assured in recent weeks, looked rattled. Their woes were compounded on the half-hour mark when captain Craig Halkett was shown a straight red card for bringing down Jacob Devaney as the last man—a decision that left little room for debate and that referee Steven McLean, with the help of VAR, got spot on. It marked the third time in six league games that Hearts had been reduced to ten men, a worrying trend for Derek McInnes’ side.

St Mirren sensed their opportunity. Moments after the red card, Marcus Fraser thought he’d put the hosts ahead with a powerful header, only for the linesman’s flag to cut short the celebrations. Earlier, Gogic had hit the post, and just before half-time, the Buddies believed they’d won a penalty when Harry Milne clipped Jayden Richardson. VAR intervened, ruling the foul had occurred just outside the box, and Declan John’s resulting free-kick whistled narrowly wide. Hearts, meanwhile, were clinging on by their fingernails, with goalkeeper Alex Schwolow making a string of crucial saves to keep the score level.

The second half saw Hearts attempt to regroup, but the man disadvantage told. St Mirren continued to press, and Schwolow was called upon again, denying Mikael Mandron with a sensational close-range stop—a save that drew comparisons to Craig Gordon’s heroics at Dundee just weeks prior. For much of the half, it seemed the Jambos might just hang on for a valuable point, their defensive resolve tested to the limit.

But with just minutes remaining, Declan John swung in a teasing corner, and Freckleton rose highest at the near post to thump a header past Schwolow. The SMiSA Stadium erupted. For St Mirren, it was a moment of pure relief and joy—their first league win in eight attempts—and it propelled them seven points clear of the relegation play-off spot, climbing up to ninth in the table. For Hearts, it was a crushing blow, their third league defeat of the season and a missed opportunity to put real daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.

The match was also notable for the debut of Jacob Devaney, fresh from Manchester United’s Under-21s. Thrown into the cauldron just 24 hours after arriving, Devaney coped admirably with the physicality and pace of the Scottish top flight. St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson will be delighted not only with the result but with the fight and composure his side showed under pressure, especially after recent struggles. "We’ve got to look forward and just keep doing what we’re doing. Then hopefully we will play well again and we can get those three points," Alex Gogic told reporters before the match, and the Buddies certainly delivered on that hope.

For Hearts, the ramifications are significant. Not only did they fail to extend their lead, but they also lost their captain, Halkett, who will now miss the next Edinburgh derby—an absence that could weigh heavily. Manager Derek McInnes, who had hoped to keep the pressure on Celtic and Rangers, now faces renewed scrutiny. “I didn’t want James [Wilson] to go. I tried to sell it to him, being part of the team here, being ready, working hard to get into the team. I was keen that he’d stay closer to home, even in a cooperation agreement. But I understand his head being turned. It’s a different pathway, he’s going to play academy football and I think he’s better than that,” McInnes told BBC Scotland, reflecting on recent squad changes and the difficulty of the January window.

Player ratings from the night told their own story. Schwolow, the Hearts keeper, was perhaps the visitors’ best performer, earning an 8 for his string of saves. For St Mirren, Devaney and Freckleton stood out, the latter’s late goal capping a commanding display at the back. The game was a test of character as much as ability, and St Mirren passed with flying colors.

The defeat means Hearts’ advantage at the top remains at six points, but with both Celtic and Rangers now having the chance to close the gap to just three if they win their upcoming fixtures, the title race is well and truly alive. For the Jambos, the focus must now shift to regrouping quickly, addressing their disciplinary issues, and ensuring that this setback doesn’t become a turning point in their campaign.

Meanwhile, St Mirren can savor a hard-earned victory that not only boosts their survival hopes but also sends a message to the rest of the league—they’re not going down without a fight. With the business end of the season approaching, both ends of the table are heating up, and if this night in Paisley proved anything, it’s that in football, anything can happen.