Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies kept the same side, despite the
disappointment of defeat at Dunfermline Athletic last week.
And the visitors set about Saints in positive fashion, commanding the
early possession.
Killie's Gordon Greer attempted a sliced cross forcing Tony Bullock
to tip the ball over his bar.
Danny Invincible was playing with verve for the visitors, and his
cross saw Steven Naismith head just wide in the best opportunity for
either team to break the deadlock.
However for all the competitiveness on display, both sides lacked a
creative edge.
The Buddies were disappointing, as throughout the first half, Killie
goalkeeper Graeme Smith was rarely troubled.
Although
striker John Sutton was making his presence felt in Killie's box, there
was a distinct lack of finesse from St Mirren.
The second half tempo increased with both sides anxious to spark into
life.
The game took a surprisingly nasty turn in the 56th minute when
Frazer Wright barged into Bullock after the keeper had collected a high
ball.
The normally mild-mannered Wright was booked for his clumsiness and
St Mirren centre-half Broadfoot followed him into the book for his
subsequent push on Killie's former Stranraer centre-half.
Wright was again in the action in the 63rd minute when he headed
Fernandez's knock-back towards goal only to see a trio of St Mirren
defenders bundle the ball clear and referee Calum Murray wave away his
claims that it had crossed the line.
But just when St Mirren were beginning to cause problems for Killie,
the cruellest of fates befell Broadfoot.
Greer dispatched a tremendous 30-yard pass across Saints' defence,
and David Fernandez managed to turn the ball back across goal, only for
stopper Broadfoot to help the ball into his own net.
Had the ball not ended up in the net it may have anyway; the referee
could have given a penalty for a foul on Gary Wales. As it was the goal
was enough to send Killie back into the top six and inject a fair dose
of adrenaline into Fernandez, who performed even more fulsomely after
it.
A Simon Lappin free-kick from 20 yards which was deflected just over
the Killie bar was as close as the home side came to an equaliser.
But Jefferies' men hung on to secure a victory they merited.
