Craig Halkett’s red card could prove costly with the defender now ruled out of next week’s Edinburgh derby after Paisley defeat

St Mirren’s Miguel Freckleton celebrates after scoring to make it 1-0

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill admits his side have been left chasing. Rangers gaffer Danny Rohl has ordered his men to go on the hunt.

And now Derek McInnes’ leaders of the Premiership pack are going to have to show they can live with their rivals breathing right down their necks.

Hearts were hoping to go nine points clear in Paisley.

Now they face the prospect of having both Old Firm clubs closing to within three if they can win their games tonight.

For the third time in six games, the Jambos found themselves down to 10 men after Craig Halkett’s first-half ordering off.

But unlike their wins over Saints in Gorgie and Dundee at Dens, this time their resolve was broken by a Buddies side who thoroughly deserved their battling victory.

Both Old Firm bosses have done their best to heap the pressure on McInnes’ team by insisting they are the team to beat.

O’Neill even seemed to suggest it was their title to lose as he claimed the league crown was already resting in Gorgie hands.

McInnes, though, was left peering through his fingers as he watched Halkett get his marching orders.

Miguel Freckleton scores with a late header

But that was nothing on his anguish as Miguel Freckleton headed home late on.

Hearts barely had time to catch a breath during a frantic first 45 in which the Buddies harried their every step.

But the Jambos were up against it on the half-hour mark when Stuart Findlay lost his footing under pressure from Mikael Mandron.

Halkett did his best to retrieve the situation but when he slipped too, catching the on-rushing Jacob Devaney on the edge of the box, referee Steven McLean had no option to punish the last-man challenge with a red.

St Mirren continued to bombard the Alex Schwolow’s goal, with a Marcus Fraser goal disallowed for offside after Alex Gogic headed against the post.

They thought they had a spot-kick on half-time when Harry Milne fouled Jayden Richardson – but VAR stepped in to rule the trip outside the box.

Scholow had to make another huge stop to deny Mandron just after the break but there was no stopping Freckleton’s thumping header as the defender got on Declan John’s corner.

Jambos’ brave show of heart

Hearts knew a win would send them nine clear of the Old Firm, putting the pressure firmly on the Glasgow giants to respond.

Instead, it was McInnes’ men who found their nerve being tested by an onslaught from a St Mirren side who simply refused to give the visitors a moment’s peace

The first half was one-way traffic as the Paisley men threw everything they had at the league leaders.

McInnes struggled to contain his frustration on the touchline as his team were continually outmuscled by Saints.

But he can’t have any complaints about the way his defence continually put their bodies on the line.

In the end, the pressure on the 10 men told as Freckleton pounced with two minutes remaining.

Del’s deadline day doze

While O’Neill and Rohl were burning the midnight oil in a desperate late attempt to beef up their squads for title run in, McInnes was tucked up in his jammies content in the knowledge he’d already done the important transfer work.

The addition of Marc Leonard and Rodgers Mato helped to plug the gaps created by injuries to key men Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland, while the arrivals of Jordi Altena and Islam Chesnokov have added an additional x-factor to a squad already swaggering towards the finish line.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes reacts as his side go behind at the SMiSA Stadium

Leonard was the only new face to start in Paisley and that perhaps underlines just how impressive the work done by Tony Bloom’s Jamestown scouts was back in the summer.

The Hoops have been scurrying about for loanee after loanee in a bid to stay with the Jambos. Rangers have splashed out almost £50million this year but remain adrift of a Tynecastle team constructed on a tenth of that eye-watering sum.

This result is a slip up but there’s no doubt which of the title rivals is getting most value for money.

Haunted Halkett

It’s almost six years since Daniel Stendel’s struggling Hearts made the journey west along the M8 to Paisley looking for a much-needed three points in their fight against relegation.

A 1-0 defeat was disappointing but not a disaster – until the emergence of the COVID pandemic turned the world upside down.

With football brought to a halt, SPFL chiefs took the controversial decision to call the campaign early – a ruling that saw Hearts sent hurtling down to the Championship.

That 2020 defeat to Saints proved to be fatal for Hearts’ survival hopes back then – and you have to wonder what this slip-up will mean for their chances this term.

Halkett was the only man in maroon to feature that night but rather than bury those ghosts of six years ago, he had a haunted look as he trudged off after his first-half sending-off – a dismissal that now means he’ll miss next week’s Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.

Saints’ find a cure for their Hampden hangover

The Buddies came into the game having won just one league game since beating Celtic to lift the Premier Sports Cup.

With 11th-placed Killie closing in only three behind at the bottom, no-one needed to tell Robinson’s men the importance of putting in a big display.

They didn’t disappoint their boss with their effort levels.

Tackles were bone shuddering, lungs were burst covering mile after mile.

But it’s quality, not commitment, that has been letting St Mirren down.

They missed chance after chance but in the end, Freckleton was the man to deliver with his precious winner easing Robbo’s demotion worries.

Schwolow so close to being the saviour

McInnes has swung to and fro with his goalkeeping picks lately.

But he will still feel vindicated with his decision to stick by Schwolow here despite the loss.

Frankly, Saints had enough chances to win by four or five.

But Schwolow twice denied Killian Philips and Mandron in the first half and made another huge stop to deny the Frenchman just after half-time before finally conceding at the death.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke may hope that Craig Gordon gets some more minutes soon but he can’t complain if Schwolow keeps the gloves.