Hearts crowd frustrated with slow play but management point out why they are in a good place

Steven Naismith is confident Hearts are headed in a positive direction after winning three successive Premiership matches by a single goal. The Tynecastle head coach oversaw Saturday's 1-0 victory against St Johnstone after his team beat Motherwell 2-1 and Livingston 1-0.

Supporters have grown frustrated during periods of those matches due to the slower tempo of Hearts' play, but Naismith is not overly concerned. They have won three league games in a row for the first time since January 2022 and he explained why sometimes a more measured build-up is necessary.

He also stressed that a more clinical edge when chances arrive is something which will come soon. "I couldn't believe the stat. In nearly two years, Hearts have not won three consecutive league games. That's crazy. It shocked me," Naismith told the Edinburgh News. "With the route we are going on, we have so much more control in the game. When you watch games back, other teams are only getting opportunities from our bad decision-making.

"That's what happened on Saturday. In the last 10 minutes of the first half, we were getting a bit on edge. The crowd were getting on edge and frustrated with the slow play and the time it was taking them [St Johnstone] to take goal kicks."It was like: 'We need to score!' So then we start forcing passes that we don't need to force. If you make the extra pass, we probably get a better chance. It's a learning process about doing that. We need to continuously do it because it has proven that we get chances."

Hearts are fourth in the league table and two points behind St Mirren in third. They pre-season aim was to finish third. "In the last three games, we could have scored so many more goals," said Naismith. "It's not half-chances either, it's good chances.

"We put about three past the post against Livi and the goalie made some really good saves. Against Motherwell, we had some really good chances, and again on Saturday we were just off it. That's what is coming. For us to be winning three consecutive games by one goal when our final third isn't clicked is a good place to be."