Spirited St Mirren showed massive desire to retain their Ladbrokes Premiership status by coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Hearts at Tynecastle.

The bottom-placed Buddies had the better of a goalless first half and any feeling that they could pay for their profligacy was vindicated in the 55th minute when defender Clevid Dikamona headed in a Olly Lee corner for his first Hearts goal.

However, an own goal from Gorgie attacker Sean Clare 11 minutes later drew the battling visitors level and ultimately ensured a valuable point.

The Paisley side are four points behind Hamilton and Dundee but successive draws – they held Aberdeen to 2-2 at Pittodrie last week – following six league defeats will give boss Oran Kearney and the Saints fans some encouragement.

Hearts boss Craig Levein made changes following last week's defeat to Motherwell with goalkeeper Colin Doyle whose last-minute blunder handed Well victory, replaced by Zdenek Zlamal.

Midfielder Peter Haring returned after missing the last seven weeks following hernia surgery along with Dikamona and midfielder Lee.

Full-back Ethan Erhahon and midfielder Greg Tansey were reinstated for the Paisley side and the latter had the first effort on goal of the game, a side-footed shot from the edge of the box after a couple of minutes which narrowly missed the target.

Moments later, a sweeping Hearts move ended with Saints keeper Vaclav Hladky saving from Steven Naismith's shot on the turn from 10 yards, the corner defended by the visitors.

However, Saints were growing in confidence.

Kyle McAllister's corner in the 10th minute sped all the way to skipper Paul McGinn but he failed to connect properly with his shot and missed the target.

There was a St Mirren penalty claim when striker Duckens Nazon turned Dikamona on the edge of the box but referee Don Robertson deemed the offence to be outside, with Cammy MacPherson firing the free-kick well over.

Nazon miskicked from a McGinn cut-back before keeper Hladky had to make three quick saves following a corner from Dikamona, captain Christophe Berra and Lee.

Two minutes from the break St Mirren had the best chance of the half when McAllister robbed Berra wide on the halfway line and sprinted clear into the box but from 12 yards he missed the target with a wayward shot.

Hearts made a determined start to the second half as they fired crosses and passes into the box and Dikamona's goal was simple enough, rising high in the penalty area to head in Lee's delivery from the right.

However, rather than buckling, Saints came roaring back and got the break they deserved when Clare headed McAllister's corner into his own net.

Moments later, there was almost another own goal, this time as Dikamona slid to block a cross from McGinn, the defender rescued by a great save from  Zlamal.

Both sides went for the winner with gusto in the final stages but had to settle for a point apiece, the travelling support more enthused about that outcome than the home supporters.