Hearts returned to winning ways with an emphatic 5-0 victory over St Mirren, producing a dominant attacking display at Tynecastle.
Laurent Mendy opened the scoring, Calvin Miller converted two penalties and Claudio Braga and Josh McPake added further goals as the hosts ended a two-match winless run.
The result keeps Hearts third in the Scottish Premiership, three points behind leaders Rangers, while St Mirren suffered a second consecutive heavy defeat.
Wouter Vrancken’s side controlled the contest through sharp passing and relentless pressing, giving the visitors little opportunity to settle.
Mendy supplied the breakthrough with a spectacular finish. When a loose ball fell to the French midfielder inside the penalty area, he drove it into the top corner.
Miller then scored from the spot either side of half-time to put Hearts firmly in command.
Braga added a fourth after being played through on the left.
The Portuguese forward rounded goalkeeper Jacob Chapman before rolling the ball home for his first goal from open play in nine matches.
McPake completed the scoring just days after making his Scotland debut.
He beat Liam Donnelly to the ball and fired past Chapman to cap an impressive individual performance.
The five-goal margin reflected Hearts’ superiority, although their dominance created enough opportunities for an even bigger victory.
Quick combinations repeatedly opened up St Mirren, with McPake particularly effective down the left.
His willingness to take on defenders gave the visitors problems throughout.
James Wilson missed several chances to join his team-mates on the scoresheet, but those missed opportunities did little to detract from an outstanding collective display.
The performance offered clear evidence that Vrancken’s approach is taking hold.
Hearts pressed with purpose, moved the ball fluently and carried a consistent attacking threat.
The head coach’s delight at full-time was understandable, but a demanding week will provide a tougher examination of his side’s progress.
Hearts face FC Nordsjaelland in the Conference League in midweek before travelling to Celtic Park next Sunday.
After an encouraging start to the season, St Mirren now face the task of rebuilding confidence following two defeats in which they have conceded eight goals.
Craig McLeish’s side had impressed early on with assured passing and a clear tactical identity, but neither was evident for long in Gorgie.
While Hearts appeared refreshed by the three-week break, St Mirren struggled to play through the hosts’ press and repeatedly found themselves under pressure.
They did create promising opportunities for Luke Thomas and Calvin Ramsay, but neither chance was converted.
Their greater concern was at the other end, where defensive vulnerability and poor decisions allowed Hearts to pull away.
The second penalty was particularly damaging.
Donnelly, only recently introduced from the bench, conceded it with an unnecessary challenge, leaving the visitors facing an increasingly difficult task.
McLeish must now address those defensive shortcomings before St Mirren travel to Pittodrie next Saturday.
Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken: "We played a good game, simple as that. Out of possession, in possession. We scored a lot of goals, nice goals, and kept a clean sheet which is always a good thing.
"You score goals with the whole team, the build-up from the back was good. That's why the players get in good position."
St Mirren manager Craig McLeish: "A really sore one, a self-inflicted one. We didn't look anything like we wanted to.
"Two penalties and three individual errors on our part, we kill ourselves. You can't give yourself a foothold in the game if you do those sort of things."
