Ross: St Mirren have to believe

ST MIRREN manager Jack Ross insists they will get off the bottom of the Ladbrokes Championship if everyone at the club retains belief.

Saints saw the deficit at the bottom of the table extended to nine points after a 3-1 defeat at Falkirk.

But they led at half-time through Lewis Morgan’s strike before paying the price of Jack Baird’s red card for throwing a punch at Lee Miller i n t he 38th minute.

Second-half goals from Miller, Bob McHugh and Myles Hippolyte ensured St Mirren remain looking for their first league win of the season.

Ross said: “I don’t think you can question the commitment of the players and the reaction of the fans at the end of the game shows me that.

“I’ve been a player here and I know the supporters will tell you what they think of the performance and they applauded them because they knew they gave their lot to try and get something out the game.

“They need to maintain that faith, the players and the supporters, for us to get out of this situation.

“You need stomach for this, you need character, and the ones that played showed that.

“It’s not going to waver, my belief in my own ability to do it, and my belief in them as a group.”

Falkirk moved six points behind Hibernian and Dundee United and above Morton, who beat Beith 6-0 in the William Hill Scottish Cup, while St Mirren could have fallen further behind if Dunfermline midfielder Kallum Higginbotham had not missed t wo late penalties i n a 1-1 draw against Ayr.

Ryan Stevenson scored from 25 yards as Dumbarton won 2-1 at Palmerston to inflict a sixth consecutive league defeat on Queen of the South.

St Mirren manager Jack Ross.