St Mirren 0-2 Kilmarnock: Three things we learned
St Mirren secured their first top-six finish since 1985, despite losing to relegation-threatened Kilmarnock. Let’s look at what stood out at a sold-out SMISA Stadium…
Kilmarnock taste league victory on the road for the first time in over a year
Going into this match, a lot of the focus was on St Mirren and whether they’d make the top half, so, Killie used this to their advantage. The Ayrshire side headed to Paisley in search of their first away win in the league since March last year (against Ayr United in the Championship). Despite their awful away form, over 1,600 Killie supporters travelled.
The travelling fans from Ayrshire were in for a treat as their side went 1-0 up after some excellent hold-up play from Northern Irish striker Kyle Vassell, after which he found compatriot Liam Donnelly, who took advantage of some slack St Mirren defending by calmly slotting the ball beyond shot-stopper Trevor Carson after 18 minutes. Killie doubled their advantage in the 35th minute as Christian Doidge expertly headed home a pinpoint Daniel Armstrong cross.
Derek McInnes’ side remained largely in control and could have extended to their lead, with Vassell, Armstrong and Rory McKenzie coming close to adding their name to the scoresheet.
As well as it being the Ayrshire side’s first league win on the road for virtually an eternity, it was also the first time they’ve tasted victory by more than a single goal in the Premiership this season.
St Mirren secure a top-half finish despite stuttering
It was a game of mixed emotions for St Mirren. They know that they were within touching distance of the top six as they needed to either to pick up a point themselves or hope that Livingston drop points away to Dundee United.
In the end, the Buddies’ blushes were spared when Dundee United beat Livingston 2-0, leaving the Paisley side two points clear of seventh place.
Stephen Robinson would have been hoping for a lot better from his side who were on the cusp of top-six glory. They achieved what they set out to do, however, it wasn’t totally on their merit. Overall, it was a frustrating match for the Paisley side.
They played with a slackness rarely seen from them this season and chances at goal were at a premium. The best one fell to on-loan Dundee United striker Tony Watt, who shot over the bar from a tight angle, while Kilmarnock ‘keeper Sam Walker held most of the other six shots comfortably. Despite slipping up here, St Mirren can still be immensely proud of their campaign so far.
There is not much between the top and bottom half
If you learned anything from this match, it is that there’s not much of a gulf in quality between the Premiership’s top and bottom six.
St Mirren have surpassed many people’s pre-season expectations, while Kilmarnock are embroiled in a relegation dogfight and currently occupy the relegation playoff spot. This result should give Killie a major confidence boost going into the final five matches.
For both sides, the aims are vastly different, with the Buddies looking to bring European football to Paisley and Killie aiming to retain their top-flight status- although in this match, you’d be mistaken for thinking that Kilmarnock were the top-six side. What this does mean is that supporters should keep a keen eye on both ends of the Premiership table between now and late May.