McInnes thought his team were harshly treated against Hearts

St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes holds referee Mike Tumilty responsible for his team's 2-0 home loss to Hearts.

The visitors went ahead with a penalty, given when a David Templeton free-kick struck the hand of Jamie Adams.

"I'm really aggrieved by the decision, it was the defining moment of the game," McInnes told BBC Radio Scotland.

"Jamie Adams is at the end of the defensive wall and there's nothing he can do about it. The ball was going wide and his hands were by his side."

Kevin Kyle converted the spot-kick on 64 minutes and Ryan Stevenson added a breakaway goal in injury time to seal the victory for Hearts.

McInnes had watched replays of the penalty incident before giving his reaction and was convinced his team had been harshly treated.

"You watch the Hearts players, the only one claiming for it is the boy Templeton," he added.

"We go to all these referee's meetings and talk about unnatural positions. I don't know where your hands are supposed to be when your standing.

"It was by his side and Ian Black has run across him, so Jamie Adams hasn't even seen the ball. At the very end he's tried to jump and his hand is just slightly above his waist but no more than that.

"It changed the game, especially with it coming so late."

St Johnstone sit 10th in the Scottish Premier League and have lost their last four outings, conceding 12 and failing to find the net in any of those games.

However, McInnes was pleased with his side's performance against high-flying Hearts.

"There was nothing between the teams," he said. "It was a hard-fought battle, with the pitch making it difficult.

"My players were terrific, you saw how hard they worked.

"We went toe-to-toe with a team that is going well. We competed well, showed spirit and determination, everything you want in the situation that we're in.

"Jody Morris was sublime on a difficult pitch and we had a lot of good performances. If we play in that manner most weeks and we get an even break, we'll be okay."

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