Derek McInnes lauded his 10-man Hearts team for bailing out tearful Beni Baningime as they restored their six-point advantage at the top of the William Hill Premiership with a rousing 2-0 victory over St Mirren at pumped-up Tynecastle.
The midfielder was sent off after just 15 minutes for a rash, studs-up challenge on Roland Idowu with the match still goalless.
But – as they had done when winning 1-0 with 10 men away to Dundee on Sunday – the buoyant league leaders found a way to eke out a potentially huge victory courtesy of second-half goals from captain Lawrence Shankland and substitute Tomas Magnusson.
McInnes’ side are now six points clear of both Rangers and Celtic, who they host in their next league match a week on Sunday.
“We were in trouble, there’s no two ways about it,” said the manager. “I thought we started so bright, we fed off the crowd.
“We looked like a team who were confident with our work. Then Beni got sent off and the boy was distraught.
“I don’t think there’s a more popular boy in our dressing room than Beni and he was in tears.
“We said at half time we were going to have to dig him out here.
“I think the experiences on Sunday (when goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was sent off just before half-time) perversely probably helped us. It was a different scenario because it was 75 minutes to go and we didn’t have anything to hang on to.
“We had to still find that bit of quality to get something to hang on to. It was a long time coming but we had a few good opportunities prior to that. When the goal did come, what a goal it was, and then we had something to hang on to.
“I think then the belief probably went right through the players. And thankfully we got the second one. I couldn’t be more proud of the lads. We’ve dug ourselves out of a couple of holes in the last couple of games.
“It’s a good reference for us if it happens again but it better not happen again!”
McInnes revealed that defender Stephen Kingsley is facing six weeks out with a groin injury, while he admitted a late knock sustained by key midfielder Cammy Devlin “does not look good” but will be assessed on Thursday.
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson was livid with his team after a fourth defeat in a row.
“The mistakes are ridiculous for the goals,” he said. “The last eight goals we’ve gifted to people. Individual decision-making, really poor and it’s costing us week in, week out.
“I had to tell some home truths tonight because sometimes players make you look stupid. It’s my team, I take the blame but the players needed to stand up and be counted and they haven’t.”
