Kilmarnock were rocked before the game by news of
Kevin Kyle's knee cartilage problem, which will rule him out of
Scotland's World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Holland.
But the Ayrshire side took less than four minutes to
suggest they could cope without their skipper as Connor Sammon
added to his midweek cup double against Morton.
The Irishman ran on to a clever through-ball by
Kyle's replacement, David Fernandez, that caught the Saints defence
square and slotted the ball into the far corner from 20 yards.
St Mirren, who had Hugh Murray back in midfield in
place of Tom Brighton, settled somewhat after a disorganised start but
Kilmarnock continued to take the game to them with the energetic Sammon
putting the visitors under enormous pressure.
Fernandez cut inside from the left and fired a shot
that Paul Gallacher held and Gavin Skelton's cross just evaded Sammon
following good build-up play.
Killie were also without the injured Jamie Hamill and
Danny Invincibile but Garry Hay had recovered from a back problem to
take the captain's armband and Manuel Pascali slotted well into central
midfield.
Alan Combe's first real test came in the 32nd minute
when he dived ow to hold Billy Mehmet's 30-yard free-kick but Kilmarnock
remained in firm control.
Sammon again threatened when he drove the ball across
the six-yard box following a one-two with Mehdi Taouil but the Saints
defence cleared. However, Kilmarnock's impressive first-half efforts
were undone within three minutes of the restart when McGinn volleyed the
equaliser from 10 yards.
Hay made a mess of a clearance from David Barron's
deep cross and Dorman cut the ball back for McGinn to smash into the top
corner with his weaker right foot.
Pascali was wide with a deflected volley and a header
as Killie sought an immediate reply and Gallacher pulled off a excellent
diving save from Sammon's powerful first-time effort from a difficult
angle.
Killie looked the likelier team but St Mirren came
back strongly just before McGinn stunned the hosts again. Dorman's cross
fell for the midfielder on the edge of the box and his low shot
deflected off Tim Clancy and past Combe at his near-post.
Frazer Wright's header was inadvertently blocked by
Michael Higdon from Craig Bryson's corner as Kilmarnock quickly
reasserted themselves as an attacking force.
But, with St Mirren now having something to defend,
they did not have th space to play as they did in the first half.
Most of Kilmarnock's pressure came from high balls
and the visiting defenders showed they had fully recovered from their
shaky start.
Jack Ross produced a crucial clearance from Clancy's
deep cross and Lee Mair knocked away Hay's cutback before Saints enjoyed
a comfortable final 10 minutes.
4 mins
