WHAT a difference a manager makes. After winning their opening game against Motherwell and putting up a feisty display at Ibrox last week, Hearts showed that they are a renewed force this season with a display of guile and organisation against St Mirren.

As soon as the dam cracked when Jamie Mole's 45th-minute shot flew into the top corner, with St Mirren down to 10 men, it looked more a question of whether Hearts would win by a football score or a cricket score.

While Hearts struggled to convert their pressure into goals and could even have ended up drawing 2-2, for most of the afternoon there was only ever one side in this match, and it wasn't a St Mirren team whose sole attacking option seemed to be a vain hope that striker Billy Mehmet, the hardest working man in football, could escape the attentions of both the impressive Marius Zaliukas and Christophe Berra and latch onto a succession of aimless upfield punts.

But in truth this was all about a Hearts performance that provided genuine promise that the Gorgie side can reach for the top end of the league, the usual Romanov caveats notwithstanding.

For most of the game, Csaba Laszlo's side had a shape and a purpose that was clear and effective. Michael Stewart was the fulcrum, picking up the ball from deep and spraying it to the wings with an incisiveness that frequently threatened to carve St Mirren apart. They attacked down the right wing, putting the ball in behind Franco Miranda almost as often as St Mirren smacked the ball heavenwards towards Mehmet.

The only wonder was that for all their possession, Hearts couldn't create more clear-cut chances than the clutch carved out by Jamie Mole and Andrew Driver. With the exception of one early Mole shot which would have opened the scoring but for Will Haining's outstretched leg, Hearts' best chance came from a long-range shot from Laryea Kingston, which was well saved by Mark Howard.

Yet such was Hearts' domination in midfield, where rangy Ugandan debutante David Obua did enough to suggest that he will prove a shrewd acquisition, that the chances kept coming. Even then the tempo wasn't upbeat enough for a home crowd which could see the visitors were there for the taking. The volume from the stands ratcheted up after Tonet Guerao was dismissed after half an hour when he followed a silly early yellow card for a foul on Jason Thomson with an innocuous challenge on Stewart that brought a harsh second yellow.

The opening goal came from a moment of inspiration from Mole, who picked the ball up well outside the area and, taking one step, fired an unstoppable shot into the top-left corner with seconds remaining until the interval.

Instead of the floodgates opening after half-time, however, Hearts grew frustrated after the break as St Mirren shut up shop. Even worse, when Brown gave St Mirren a free-kick against the run of play for no apparent reason, the ball was moved quickly and, as Hearts' defence failed to react, the ball was whisked to the back post where Hamilton drew the 10-man visitors back on level terms.

Yet as Laszlo noted, this is a side that now plays with passion, and as soon as St Mirren drew level, Hearts went about their business with an urgency that had been lacking beforehand. Just seconds after Hamilton's goal the home side almost went ahead when Kingston's shot was smothered by Howard after the keeper had already parried Driver's shot. Then, minutes later, substitute Deividas Cesnauskis shot just wide.

The pressure was building and after Howard tipped a Driver shot over the bar, Hearts went ahead again when Miranda scythed down Driver in the box from the corner, Stewart converting the penalty.

Even then Hearts almost conspired to throw it away. With the match entering injury time and Hearts pressing, the ball broke to Audrius Ksanavicius in the box, only for Jack Ross to lunge in and give away a penalty. Stewart's shot was saved this time, however, and St Mirren broke, eventually winning a free-kick on the left-hand side with seconds left. As the ball came across, Mehmet rose unopposed at the near post, only to head inches wide with the last touch of the game.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Despite his penalty miss, Michael Stewart was outstanding, particularly in the first half, spraying the ball around with an accuracy that exposed St Mirren's defence time and time again.

QUICK FACT

Bruno Aguiar's favourite sport after football is roller hockey, which is "very big" in Portugal.

TALKING POINT

With no obvious contact around the box, was unimpressive referee Colin Brown trying to even up matters after sending off Tonet Guerao by awarding St Mirren the free-kick from which Jim Hamilton scored?