Kilmarnock have one thing that we don't: quality. They made it show in the final half hour, with guys like Craig Bryson and Alexei Eremenko running the show. We had to rely on a former postman and a knackered midfielder that wasn't good enough for Falkirk to try to drum up our response. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work and we threatened less after going behind than we had done when the scores were level.
There can be few complaints about the first hour. We restricted Kilmarnock, carved out a few chances ourselves and could have gone in front - although Killie missed a few sitters. However, the hour mark saw a change in personnel and system and it simply didn't work.
Having gone behind, there was hardly any chance of us equalising and we forced just two chances. When we went further behind, Killie looked like they could have gone further in front and their passing play brought out the "Ole" chants from their visitors. It's hard to take that from supporters of a club like Kilmarnock.
Killie went for Mixu Paatelainen in the summer, who brought in skill and quality. We went for Danny Lennon, who brought in players from the lower leagues who work hard. Some of them are OK, but others quite simply lack the quality for the SPL. It has been shown up in the past, it was shown up today and it'll probably be shown up in the future. Quite simply we need new players, or the five point gap over Hamilton will quickly evaporate.
John Potter finally made way through suspension, but Lee Mair was deemed fit enough to take his place. Injury-prone striker Craig Dargo was deemed fit enough to start alongside Michael Higdon, although I was rather confused at the fact it was Steven Thomson that made way. He was on the bench, as were Gareth Wardlaw, Peter Bradley and Hugh Murray, while Paul McQuade and David Barron dropping out. Mair and co were set to have fun dealing with the likes of Conor Sammon, Eremenko and Mehdi Taouil.
Kilmarnock had brought a huge support of over 2,000 with them and looked to give their side an early goal after dominating the opening few minutes. However, we had the first real chance when Dargo laid the ball off to Marc McAusland and his cross was headed over by Michael Higdon.
The Englishman then tried his luck from 45 yards and his effort almost skimmed the bar on its way over. After Paddy Cregg got his booking out the way after just nine minutes (a new personal record?) Higdon had another go when we broke from a corner. This time he was about 15 yards closer and put his shot wide, rather than over.
Eremenko showed earlier this season what he could do from a free-kick when he scored one against us, but this time his effort midway through the first half was easy for Paul Gallacher to deal with. His next effort was better, forcing Gallacher to parry it away, after McAusland had been booked for a blatant foul on Taouil. As Killie sensed blood, Gallacher was at his best again when he denied Bryson's fierce effort from flying into the net. Not to be outdone, Bell reacted brilliantly to keep out a goalbound shot from Darren McGregor after the defender had done well to get onto a flick from Higdon.
There was a huge let-off just before half time when Gordon had all the space in the world to pick out Sammon, who had no defenders near him, with a cross. He had two bites of the cherry and after messing up the first, the second was blocked by Gallacher. However, the striker - and his team mates - reckoned the ball had crossed the line somewhere in the scramble and appealed furiously for a goal. It was all in vain as the West Bank side linesman was having none of it, meaning it was all square at the break.
McGregor seems to like getting forward and did so again in the opening stages of the first half, but he was almost made to pay for it. In fairness it was Sean Lynch who'd lost possession, but McGregor's foray forward had left us short at the back. Sammon tried to take full advantage when he got deep and laid a chance on a plate for Taouil, only for him to fail to connect with the ball.
Buoyed by that let-off, Saints began to create some chances. A great run by van Zanten saw him pick out Higdon at the back post and he tried to knock the ball back across goal for Dargo, only for Mohamadou Sissoko to clear it. Next time a ball came in the big defender wasn't so composed as he knocked it straight to Paul McGowan and while he picked out Higdon perfectly, he missed the target. Dargo did score moments later but McAusland was offside in the build-up, while a great header from Higdon set up McGowan with a chance that was deflected into the grateful arms of Bell. Annoyingly, it was Dargo who had deflected it.
Kilmarnock still looked dangerous and a deflected Liam Kelly shot brought some pressure that saw the visitors claim for a penalty. Saints ignored the shouts and countered, but McGowan fired wide. A surprise change on the hour mark saw Dargo and McAusland replaced by McLean and Wardlaw as we switched to a 4-4-2. People have criticised Danny Lennon for not using his subs but this appeared an add move as Dargo's movement was causing problems for the Killie defence. Wardlaw is too similar to Higdon and leaving Lynch on was just asking for trouble as he was clearly knackered.
The players were only just getting comfortable in their new positions when Killie scored. No one was paying attention when Eremenko took a quick, short free-kick to Hamill and he delivered a superb cross that was smashed home by Kelly. It was a cheap goal to lose, especially as we had coped so well with Killie's attacking force.
The home support weren't optimistic of seeing their side finding an equaliser, although Wardlaw did glance a header wide from Travner's corner. Trav's then worked well with McLean to allow the youngster to cross, but Cregg shot wide from just outside the box. Bryson tried his luck from a wee bit further out at the other end and was a wee bit further off target. Clearly, the Saints defence seemed to think it would be OK just to back off him next time he came forward but this time he had a dig from 25 yards and the ball took a wicked deflection off of Mair, taking it well out of Gallacher's reach and into the net. Game over.
Killie began taking the micky after that one and must have strung about 20 passes together without a Saints player getting near one. They could, and probably should, have gone further in front, but it was irrelevant. There was no danger in us pulling one back.
Quite simply, we aren't good enough and any chance of scoring as good as vanished when Dargo went off. How Lynch lasted the full game when Thompson, Murray and Aaron Mooy were on the bench is a mystery. The players all worked hard, but collectively weren't good enough to see of a club that finished below us and were in disarray in the summer.
Get it sorted Danny - now. Stop sticking with the same players and either bring some in or give guys like Mooy, Jamie McCluskey and Peter Bradley a chance.