Two chic St Mirren strikes weren't sufficient to seal development to the Scottish Cup semi-finals as Hearts edged a breathless tie.
Greater than 1,500 Saints followers made the journey by way of to Tynecastle and so they actually received worth for cash, if not the end result they have been hoping for.
In an end-to-end first half the Jambos fired themselves right into a two-goal lead due to close-range finishes from Beni Baningime and Peter Haring.
The Buddies fought again earlier than the break, with Eamonn Brophy netting fantastically from Richard Tait's pinpoint cross to halve the deficit.
The Saints levelled in emphatic trend when Connor Ronan picked the ball up round 25-yards from aim earlier than unleashing a thunderbolt that fizzed previous Craig Gordon and into the highest nook.
Whereas the Paisley facet seemed to push on, Hearts punished some slack defending when substitute Aaron McEneff discovered house within the field to information an unorthodox end previous Jak Alnwick.
And Ellis Simms put the ultimate nail within the coffin when he netted from close-range, ending St Mirren's Scottish Cup dream of a return to Hampden this season.
Stephen Robinson made only one change from Wednesday night time's dramatic late win towards Dundee, with primary keeper Jak Alnwick returning between the sticks after recovering from Covid-19.
Eamonn Brophy was charged with main the road within the capital, with winger Jay Henderson compelled to make do with a spot among the many substitutes regardless of his spectacular impression at Dens Park.
Brophy was within the thick of the motion inside simply two minutes, clashing heads with Hearts centre again Craig Halkett.
Each obtained remedy earlier than persevering with because the quarter-final actually began with a bang.
Brophy examined Craig Gordon's reflexes with an early sighter from the sting of the field after being teed up by Jordan Jones.
A minute later Alnwick was known as into motion for the primary time, beating away Barrie McKay's highly effective drive.
The opening fifteen minutes have been edgy, with either side sizing one another up and clearly eager to keep away from shedding an early aim.
Charles Dunne pulled off an essential clearance on the six-yard line as a harmful Liam Boyce cross whizzed into the field.
The aid was solely brief lived although as from the following assault Hearts broke the impasse. McKay drove down the left wing earlier than choosing out striker Ellis Simms within the field.
Alnwick pulled off an excellent preliminary close-range save from his shot, however with the ball bouncing across the six-yard field Baningime was available to slam in and open the scoring together with his first aim for the Gorgie membership.
The Buddies seemed for an immediate response and have been screaming for a penalty when Scott Tanser's highly effective lengthy vary shot seemed to have hit a Hearts hand within the field.
The Jambos have been nonetheless dominating proceedings although, with Ben Woodburn sliding Simms in on aim. His low strike fizzed nicely extensive because the hosts seemed to double their lead.
The Saints defence have been struggling to maintain up with the house facet's pacey assaults and one quickly changed into two.
Boyce discovered house in the course of the park earlier than slipping in Ben Woodburn on the precise wing. His first time go picked out Haring who slammed into the roof of the web from shut vary.
The Buddies on the ropes however out of nowhere they pulled one again.
Richard Tait discovered house on the precise wing and he delivered a pinpoint cross that Brophy sensationally guided first time previous Gordon and into the highest nook.
The primary half was turning into an excellent spectacle, with Hearts inches away from restoring their two-goal benefit when Boyce's overhead kick was blocked solely so far as Halkett. His drive thundered off the underside of the crossbar earlier than finally being cleared to security as the house facet took a 2-1 benefit into the break.
St Mirren returned unchanged from the break, with Brophy testing Gordon with a looping header shortly after the interval.
Alnwick produced a high-quality cease from Nathaniel Atkinson's highly effective effort, earlier than reacting very neatly to avoid wasting Woodburn's deflected strike because the second half began on the similar frenetic tempo as the primary.
Jones nearly received on the tip of an Alnwick lengthy ball because the Hearts defence did not clear the hazard, with Gordon finally clearing the ball away for a nook.
The Buddies have been urgent arduous for an equaliser and Gordon was known as into motion once more to tip Greg Kiltie's header previous the publish.
The Paisley facet deservedly equalised from the ensuing set piece, discovering the web in gorgeous trend as soon as once more.
Boyce cleared away the set piece however solely so far as Ronan, who unleashed a merely unstoppable 25-yard effort into the highest nook previous a flailing Gordon.
This rollercoaster of a recreation did not cease there. Hearts substitute Aaron McEneff made an nearly immediate impression, cleverly directing Atkinson's cross previous Alnwick simply 60 seconds after taking to the sphere.
Haring blazed over the bar from a superb place because the Jambos threatened to take the sport away from the Saints.
Robinson threw warning to the wind as he despatched on Jay Henderson and Alex Greive, with the Buddies determined to discover a leveller within the final quarter of an hour of the match.
Haring's header on the again publish solely simply cleared the far publish as St Mirren simply managed to remain inside placing distance of the house facet.
Stephen Kingsley was subsequent to threaten a fourth, with Alnwick tipping his goal-bound free-kick simply by the publish.
In the long run it was Everton loanee Ellis Simms who put the tie to mattress, netting from McEneff's pinpoint cross to ship the Tynecastle facet by way of to the semi-finals.