Durmus lifts Saints away from danger as Killie fail to stop the rot
DISREGARD the tight scoreline. This was a richly-deserved victory for Jim Goodwin’s side, one that would have been much more emphatic had it not been for their remarkable profligacy in front of goal.
Now six points clear of bottom place and seven points better off than at this juncture last year, the Paisley faithful have good reason to view the New Year without the same sense of trepidation that engulfed them 12 months ago.
Ilkay Durmus’ sweet, early strike was enough to ensure the Buddies end the calendar year having lost just once in five matches. Provided they do not go into a tailspin, the play-off which shredded so many nerves here last May will be the concern of others.
Kilmarnock, though, are in a worrying decline. This was a fifth defeat on the spin and their seventh match without a win.
The Rugby Park side have now gone 540 minutes without scoring a goal and, frankly, that alarming statistic rarely looked like changing here.
Alex Dyer has been diplomatic about his interest in the managerial position to date but his change of tack after suffering a third successive single-goal defeat in his spell as caretaker boss was telling.
The bounce the Kilmarnock board hoped they would see after handing him the reins simply hasn’t materialised. Bluntly, it’s hard to see how the Englishman could now get the nod. An emphatic, bold appointment is now surely a matter of the highest priority.
Goodwin reintroduced Tony Andreu as the creative fulcrum in an enterprising 4-2-3-1 system. On the front foot from the off, only Eamonn Brophy’s positioning on the line prevented Sean McLoughlin steering a volley home from Cammy MacPherson’s corner.
Kilmarnock’s response saw Liam Millar fail to connect with an excellent centre by Niko Hamalainen before Brophy’s shot from 20 yards was halted by Vaclav Hladky.
But the Paisley side simply looked more comfortable in their own skins in the early exchanges. Jon Obika’s failure to get a Durmus cross on target only served to encourage them further.
The opener provided a perfect illustration of what Andreu can do when he’s in the mood. His clipped pass to Durmus 25 yards out was inch-perfect and weighted with precision. The Turk took the strike first time with his right foot, the ball flashing beyond Laurentiu Branescu before he could readjust his footing.
As they sought a quick equaliser, Kilmarnock were guilty of taking one more touch than was required.
Another fine Andreu delivery showed them the benefits of moving the ball at pace. Obika’s first touch took him away from goal and he was unable to find the target.
The Buddies were happy to mix it up. Kyle Magennis’ 30-yard strike had power but too much loft and it ended on the roof of the net.
The withdrawal of Rory McKenzie after just 40 minutes further disrupted Kilmarnock’s plans. After a brief delay, Osman Sow entered the action.
Durmus can be a frustrating figure at times but he was on his game here. Drawing a foul from Gary Dicker at the start of the second half, a challenge which brought the game’s first caution, he allowed MacPherson to try his luck with a set-piece. Branescu had to be alert to keep the deficit at a single goal.
With Killie briefly controlling the game, only for St Mirren to wrestle it back from them, it was a captivating contest.
Junior Morias’ surge from the right touchline to the left side of the box teed up Magennis for a strike that Branescu was relieved to see fly over.
Branescu, the Romanian keeper, was all that stood between Saints and victory soon after. Durmus hung up a peach of a cross for Andreu. Turning away to celebrate after planting his header on target, the Frenchman was denied by a breathtaking stop by the keeper.
Killie were clinging on. When MacPherson burst through, his attempt to roll the ball onto his preferred right foot was fatal. Iain Wilson made the crucial block.
It was wonderfully feisty at times. Alex Bruce and Magennis became the latest to have their names taken by referee Alan Newlands after a mass outbreak of snarling and shoving on the halfway line.
Morias threatened to settle the issue with ten minutes remaining with a curling strike but this time Branescu was untroubled. Obika’s effort did work the keeper but he was always behind it.
As the minutes ticked down, Goodwin cut a tortured figure in the dugout. His relief at the final whistle was understandable.