We did not get it fright
David Martindale admits Livingston took fright after gifting St Mirren a spot-kick in the opening seconds.
The Livi boss criticised the sloppy defending that sent his side tumbling back into the bottom six.
Martindale stressed his players were at fault for putting themselves on the spot and was unhappy at failing to protect their own penalty area.
He said: “To say it was a bad start and got worse is probably right. We got a bit spooked from it and St Mirren got a lot of energy from it.
“The goals were two penalties and a shot because of our defending. I’m hugely disappointed about the manner of the goals we lost. They were cheap and we didn’t give ourselves any opportunity.
“We let ourselves down in the way we defended our own area and we won’t get anywhere in football playing the way we did in the first half.
“There’s not many teams give a penalty away in the first few seconds of a game.
“We lost a second goal from a quick throw-in then a third from a penalty again. I don’t know how you jump without using your arms. But I’ve come to accept it and in the modern day they’re probably both penalties.
“I just hope we start getting them and I think we had a decent claim for one when Stephen Kelly was fouled. We’d a legitimate goal from Andrew Shinnie in the first half which St Mirren players say was in. So I’m a bit disappointed about that. It would’ve given us something to come out for.
“If I’m honest it probably took us until about half time to recover.
“We’ve had one foot in the top six and never taken the opportunity to cement our place in it. But it’s still all to play for.”