In the Scottish Premiership, Daniels Balodis and St Johnstone F.C. suffered a dramatic 1-2 home loss against Heart of Midlothian.
This match marked Balodis’s third appearance for his new club and retained his spot in the starting lineup.
Hearts opened the scoring in the 36th minute when Belgian forward Elton Kabangu scored a tap-in, assisted by Lawrence Shankland. Although VAR reviewed the goal for a potential offside, Balodis’s left leg kept Kabangu onside, allowing the goal to stand.
St Johnstone responded in the 53rd minute, equalizing after a well-executed build-up. A cross from Carey found Sidibeh, who finished with a diving header, marking his third goal of the season.
Just two minutes later, St Johnstone had a golden opportunity to take the lead. However, veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a spectacular reaction save, denying Sam Curtis’s volley from close range.
Unfortunately, the common football adage of “You don’t score on one end, the opponent scores on the other” played out as, 30 seconds later, Lawrence Shankland sliced through St Johnstone’s defense with a through ball. Kabangu, timing his run perfectly, found himself in a one-on-one situation, which he converted to quickly restore Hearts’ lead.
Desperate for points, St Johnstone continued to press for an equalizer. They thought they found it in the 68th minute, but the goal was ruled offside, denying them another chance.
As the match concluded, the score remained 1-2, marking St Johnstone’s ninth consecutive defeat against Hearts. Balodis continued his strong start at the club, playing the full match for the third time.
Currently, St Johnstone sits at the bottom of the table, six points behind Dundee FC. They will look to turn their fortunes around in their next fixture on Wednesday when they host Ross County.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
For tickets to see local players abroad, we recommend Sports Events 365 – a leading, secure platform for finding and booking football tickets around the world with almost 20 years of experience catering to satisfied customers. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram or YouTube for latest deals and updates.
