If day one is the sign of things to come for St Johnstone, this isn’t going to be a normal season.
Low-scoring, tight-at-the-back Saints were nowhere to be seen at Tynecastle, with a free-scoring ropey-at-the-back Saints taking their place.
The second lowest scorers in last season’s top flight found the target on three occasions for the first time in 50 games. Yet still they lost.
That was down to as un-St Johnstone like a defensive performance that you are likely to see.
From the moment Brad McKay slipped to gift Hearts an early opener, to the space that was afforded for Sam Nicholson’s winner, it was a day to forget for the visitors’ back-line.
There was no lack of character in the team, though.
They fought back from 2-0 down to 2-1, and then 3-1 to 3-3, only to end up losing 4-3 after a crazy six-goal spell of 27 minutes in the second period.
When the league fixture list came out, McKay would have played this game over in his mind countless times.
Going back to the club he supports and played for, the centre-back would no doubt have day-dreamt an injury-time winner finishing in the top corner or a last-ditch tackle saving the day for his new club.
Unfortunately, the reality was a bit different. His Hearts homecoming was a cruel one.
After just four minutes McKay fell over when the ball was laid off to him and, as he was finding his feet, Juanma was finding the back of the net to open the scoring for the Premiership newboys.
McKay’s personal trauma aside, Saints now had a huge task on their hands. The response was a good one.
Within a couple of minutes Simon Lappin had a shot blocked inside the box, and they enjoyed plenty of the ball for the next 15 minutes.
During that time Joe Shaughnessy headed a Simon Lappin inswinging free-kick over the bar.
The loss of the early goal was bad news in the context of this game, but Chris Millar pulling up injured was even more worrying in the context of Saints’ season.
When the stand-in captain trudged off the pitch (replaced by Scott Brown) after 20 minutes he looked to be near tears at the prospect of another lay-off.
The gift-wrapped goal apart, Saints had a lot to be encouraged about in the first half, and in the 44th minute they nearly got their reward with an equaliser.
A Lappin cross to the back post was met by John Sutton, whose looping header was cleared off the line by Nicholson.
Saints started the second 45 as they ended the first on the attack. Michael O’Halloran chased down a long ball and squared it across goal. Unfortunately for the Perth men though, none of his team-mates were able to keep up and the pass flashed across the six yard box untouched.
McKay was out-muscled by Juanma at the edge of the box on 48 minutes but he was let off on this occasion by an angled shot that just missed the post.
Fantastic skill from the Spanish centre-forward released Hearts on a counter attack and when the ball was spread wide to Nicholson, he was brought down in the box by Alan Mannus.
It was a clear penalty, and Mannus was only given a yellow card.
The Northern Irishman saved Osman Sow’s 52nd minute spot-kick down to the keeper’s right but Walker was quickest to the rebound and gave Mannus no chance this time.
Saints weren’t done yet, however.
They were soon just one behind again when Lappin bundled the ball home at the back post after the Hearts defence failed to deal with a long Joe Shaughnessy throw-in.
On 62 minutes the Saints defence was carved open down the middle by a Walker pass and full-back Paterson drilled the ball home to restore the hosts’ two-goal cushion.
Nicholson should have made it four shortly after but he blazed high and wide when he was in on goal.
The second half goal-fest was far from over as back came Saints once more on 75 minutes.
David Wotherspoon delivered a left-footed cross from the right which Sutton guided into the far corner with a glancing header.
That was 3-2 and on 78 minutes it was 3-3. A Shaughnessy long-throw again caused chaos and the ball was drilled goalwards by Brown, with substitute Graham Cummins getting the final touch from point-blank range.
Saints were only back on level terms for a minute, with Paterson’s cross from the right finished by Nicholson to make it 4-3.
Saints had four up front in the last few minutes but couldn’t dig out a point.
St Johnstone Mannus, Scobbie, Lappin (Cummins 69), Millar (Brown 20), Wotherspoon (Kane 85), Sutton, Shaughnessy, McKay, Easton, Craig, O’Halloran. Subs not used Clark, Wright, Caddis, Rodger.
Hearts – Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Augustyn, Rossi, Nicholson, Buaben, Gomis, Walker (McGhee 88), Sow (Reilly 90), Juanma (McHattie 77). Subs not used Hamilton, King, Oliver, McKirdy.
Referee Steven MacLean.
Attendance 16,334.