Hearts substitute Gordon Durie fired home a late equaliser to earn his side a share of the points at McDiarmid Park.

The Tynecastle side had taken an early lead through Andy Kirk after just five minutes.

But the Edinburgh side were forced to claw themselves back into the game after Momo Sylla and Paddy Connolly had found the back of the net for St Johnstone.

Hearts were in no mood to allow the home side to settle and Kirk met Juanjo's cross in front of goal and tried to lob goalkeeper Alan Main.

The keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn't prevent the shot hitting the back of the net in five minutes.

Saints tried to hit back immediately and young striker Keigan Parker came close with an effort which was just turned wide by goalkeeper Antti Niemi.

Robert Tomaschek could have doubled the Tynecastle side's advantage but sent the ball over the crossbar from just outside the six-yard box.

In the 19th minute, Parker had another great chance to draw level for St Johnstone.

The 18-year-old unleashed a powerful effort that produced a superb one-handed save from the Hearts goalkeeper.

A few minues later Marc McCulloch tried his luck for Saints when he met Sylla's cross but again the shot was wide.

Sylla, himself, was more successful in 23 minutes. Connolly fed a cross through to the St Johnstone player who bulleted a shot past Niemi.

Then, just after the half-hour mark, Saints surged into the lead.

Steven Pressley was dispossessed by Parker who took the ball to the by-line before sending a cross into the box and all that was required from Connolly was a simple tap-in.

John Paul McBride tried to add the third shortly before the break but his shot was just off-target.

A couple of minutes later, Sylla's cross found Nick Dasovic at the far post but the Canadian blasted the ball into the side-netting.

St Johnstone looked the better team after the re-start and Pressley was the first player to be booked for a challenge on Parker.

The youngster recovered quickly enough to have another go at goal a few seconds later but his shot just scraped over the crossbar.

In the 52nd minute, Bollan almost set-up Michael O'Neill but his effort was just inches wide.

Niemi came to the rescue for Hearts a few minutes later when Sylla fed the ball to McBride but the Saints player was denied by the former Rangers gaolkeeper who blocked the shot with his legs.

Gary Locke's name was next to be added to referee John Fleming's book for a nasty challenge on McBride.

Parker looked to have another couple of decent chances to extend Saints' lead but was twice caught out by the offside trap.

That failure to kill off Hearts proved to be St Johnstone's downfall when substitute Gordon Durie grabbed the leveller after 77 minutes.

Gary McSwegan looked to have bundled Bollan off the ball but the referee ignored the challenge and the Hearts forward was allowed to square the ball to the former Rangers striker who dutifully fired home.

Saints had the chance to reclaim their lead in the last minutes of the game with a free-kick just inside the 18-yard box.

Sylla's strike was powerful enough but deflected off Juanjo for a corner kick.

Teams

St Johnstone: Main, Dods, Weir, Bollan, McCulloch, Dasovic, Sylla, McBride, O'Neill, Parker (Lowndes 81), Connolly.

Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, Lovenkrands, Frail, Forsyth.

Booked: McBride.

Goals: Sylla 24, Connolly 35.

Hearts: Niemi, Locke, Pressley, Petric, Murray, Fulton (Durie 59), Cameron, Juanjo, Tomaschek, McSwegan, Kirk.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Severin, Neilson, Simmons.

Booked: Pressley, Locke, Petric.

Goals: Kirk 6, Durie 77.

Att: 5,173

Ref: John Fleming (Scotland).