Mattie Pollock, after providing a goal, an assist and a cleansheet, was the player put up to the press after the game. And the defender could not speaking highly enough about the job Barry Robson is currently doing around the club.

“The gaffer has been great with us, I can’t speak highly enough about him.

“Training has been really hard but it’s what we needed, and working for him and the rest of the staff has been massive for my development. There’s a real intensity here. The gaffer knows what the club is about and he drives the standards, on and off the pitch.

“The patterns we’ve been working on in training are starting to come together in games, and when that happens, it’s a great thing to be a part of. There’s a real togetherness and a special feel about this group that I’ve not been part of something like that for a long time.

“We’re very close, the lads are all class, working with them is a joy. We come into training with a smile on our faces. I’ve loved every second of it. When you know that everybody is going to give everything for each other, put their body on the line, what more can you ask?

“There’s a real passion for the club among the players. The lads who are on the bench and in the squad, the staff behind the scenes, everybody is really pushing hard in the same direction. It makes such a difference when you’re all together like that.”

Mattie had a very personal reason for wanting to get on the scoresheet against Hearts, as he explained after the game.

“It was really important to score the goal today. My Auntie Sue passed away last week, it’s been a tough week, so I want to dedicate that goal to her. I had to miss the funeral yesterday so that I could play today, and I’m not going to lie, it’s been really tough. But getting the goal for her today with my family in the crowd, it was very emotional. It’s funny how things work. I had a goal ruled out against Motherwell but scoring my first one here today in these circumstances feels even more special.

“It was a massive result for us. I’m not interested in looking at the table, we just focus on winning this game and then the next one and then we see where we are at the finish. But against a very good side, we won the game, which is what matters. We’ve been working really hard, it’s another step in the right direction, and it shows people what we are all about.”