Kilmarnock, were left nervously looking at their forthcoming fixtures last night, the most pertinent of which is suddenly looking like their last-day showdown with Falkirk at Rugby Park. Not only could they argue they had been the better side throughout, they argued in a more literal sense between themselves in the dressing room afterwards. The point at stake was whether Kevin Kyle was culpable of committing the footballer’s cardinal sin of failing to play to the whistle when a David Barron error presented him with a glaring opening during the second period.

Unsurprisingly, Kyle wasn’t afraid to give his side of the story. “We have had a big argument in the changing room about it,” the big striker said. “The ball was definitely out. Chris Maguire was right next to me and the two of us thought it was out. David Barron basically gave up on it then kneed it in frustration and it has rolled along the bye-line. My first thought is that I have got to take the ball away from touchline to shoot at goal, but as I’ve looked up to see where Paul Gallacher is, the ball has run underneath my foot and the chance has gone.” Kyle, cast in the role of pantomime villain for the home support, almost proved late salvation for his side, his towering header saved by Paul Gallacher’s legs from a controversial corner.

The match had been billed pre-game as the archetypal relegation dogfight and it did what it said on the tin. Two omens appeared in the first five minutes. First Tim Clancy needlessly battered Stephen O’Donnell over the advertising hoardings then a soft match ball had to be replaced. A cynic would suggest the poor thing needed the kiss of life.

St Mirren Park is on the Glasgow airport flight path so it was appropriate that a recurring theme of this match should become the high ball to Kyle, and the ensuing chaos as everyone tried to establish 
whether his attempts on the ball had been fair or foul. One collision between Kyle and Hugh Murray led to the St Mirren veteran losing consciousness, and an eight minute break in play which ended with him being stretchered  off. Fortunately Murray was exhibiting nothing more serious than mild concussion last night. “He didn’t know whether it was New Year or New York,” Kyle said.

Lee Mair would exact a revenge of sorts by sneakily standing on the striker’s hand following another aerial joust, but the truth was that much of Kyle’s work was indeed legitimate, and referee Craig Thomson did well to keep on top of it. At least before Kyle got a cheap booking for barging Mair to the ground.

This was all good knockabout stuff, a far cry from those suffocating relegation encounters that go by without a single chance. Instead both goals had some remarkable escapes. At one end, Manuel Pascali almost directed an early header in from a Craig Bryson corner, then Scott Severin came within inches of scoring a goal of the season with a swerving, dipping volley after a neat one-two with Jamie Hamill. At the other end, Michael Higdon spurned a couple of passable headed chances, before substitute Garry Brady’s low shot was well held by Cameron Bell.

Kilmarnock’s second half efforts weren’t helped by losing Severin and Bryson to injury, although substitute Maguire made an impact. He made ground down the left, and his cross was deflected over by a combination of Steven Robb and Liam Kelly.

Kyle’s lapse of concentration was next, and the laws of the football jungle usually mean that you rue missing such chances. An excellent Graham Carey corner was met at the far post by Higdon, whose downward header struck the woodwork. This time the six-yard box was populated, and Dorman headed in from a matter of inches.