St Johnstone's hopes of an automatic UEFA Cup place must be over after they failed to overcome struggling Hearts in a dour affair at McDiarmid Park.

Saints were looking to bounce back from last week's Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers but they seemed to lack the cutting edge to sink the Tynecastle men.

However, Hearts, who are fighting for their lives, frustrated the home side with bold defending and restricted Saints to only odd chances.

When Saints finally beat Hearts keeper Gilles Rousset with 10 minutes remaining, Miguel Simao saw his flick-shot come back off the bar.

St Johnstone, who are chasing third place to secure European football next season, started the brighter.

In the second minute, midfielder John O'Neil, returning from a knee injury, failed to make enough contact on Simao's cross to trouble Rousset.

Four minutes later, Simao's square ball found Paul Kane but he failed to find the power to beat Rousset.

Hearts were kept relatively quiet for the whole of the first half as Saints continued to probe but to no avail.

Saints continued to threaten and in the 11th minute Kieran McAnespie's perseverance saw him break into the visitors' area from the left but his shot was pushed away by Rousset.

Portuguese striker Simao continued to look the most menacing player on the pitch for the Saints but they failed to break down the Hearts defence.

In the 23rd minute, Simao cut into the Hearts box but his pass failed to pick out a team-mate and the danger was cleared.

On the half-hour, McAnespie's cross was palmed away by Rousset to Darren Dods but the shot was blocked by the Hearts defence.

St Johnstone came out for the second half with substitute keeper Allan Ferguson in goal for Alan Main, who was injured on the stroke of half-time.

Hearts seem to take encouragement from this and in the 50th minute Gary McSwegan created himself their best chance but his 25-yard shot was well-saved by Ferguson.

The visitors tried to claw themselves back into the game and Ferguson again did well to hold out Darren Jackson's 20-yard shot after good work from Naysmith on the right.

In the 62nd minute, the Hearts defence was stretched as Simao released McAnespie in yards of space but he did not have the pace to take advantage.

Hearts fans were beginning to find their voices as their side pressured the home defence.

In the 66th minute Stephane Adam of Hearts was booked for tugging at McAnespie's jersey and tempers were becoming frayed.

In the 70th minute, the Saints defence seemed stretched but Colin Cameron failed to pick out Adam's run.

Seven minutes later, Ferguson was again called upon to save brilliantly at full stretch from Jackson's 25-yard effort.

In the 80th minute the Saints threw on Nathan Lowndes in place of the unusually ineffective Roddy Grant for some much-needed inspiration.

Moments later, Lowndes created the best chance of the game. He dispossessed Paul Ritchie and his cross picked out Simao whose shot beat Rousset but his effort came back off the upright.

With three minutes left, Dods fired over from McAnespie's corner and the home side knew it was not going to be their day.

The last chance of the match fell to former Celtic star Jackson in the last minute after a scramble in the St Johnstone box, but his mishit shot screwed wide.

St Johnstone's hopes of an automatic European qualification now look to be over with Kilmarnock's crushing victory over Dunfermline and they must hope for a place courtesy of a fair play route.

For Hearts, the result and matters elsewhere mean they avoided slipping to the foot of the table.

Teams

St Johnstone: Main (Ferguson 45), Weir, Kernaghan, Dods, Bollan, McAnespie, Dasovic, O'Neil (O'Halloran 73), Kane, Grant (Lowndes 80), Simao.

Subs Not Used: Preston, Griffin.

Hearts: Rousset, Pressley, McKinnon (Naysmith 36), Ritchie, James (Severin 59), Murray, Cameron, Fulton, Adam, Jackson, McSwegan.

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Makel, Guerin.

Booked: Adam.

Att: 6,146

Ref: W Young (Clarkston).