Alan Cochrane @ McDiarmid Park

"The result was the most important thing, and that's what we got." The relief was almost palpable in Jim Jefferies voice when I spoke to him after the game. Because Killie have played better than this and lost this season - often- but today they got a goal, defended well, and the gods of football were with them and not the hosts. In fact, it was St Johnstone's turn to bombard Killie, and do everything but score.

A brisk opening spell, especially by St Johnstone, was rewarded by a goal inside the first 15 minutes- but it came for Kilmarnock. To be fair, both sides started brightly, but Saints probably had the best of the chances. In fact, Mark Brown had to be alert to pull off saves from Morais three times and Craig once during the half, and Killie were fortunate that Kenny Deuchar slipped with the goal at his mercy. Killie did get forward too though, and Graeme Smith in the St Johnstone goal, also had to earn his corn.

Burchill caused him problems when he blocked a clearance, only to see the ball go wide, and he also had a good stop from Hay, after Taouil had released him with a cute pass inside the full back. The goal when it came was well worked, but even that had a slice of luck about it. Hay worked the ball up the left, Burchill, making his first start, cut inside, and dinked the ball over a defender to Kevin Kyle. The big man, who has peppered keepers for weeks with powerful shots only to see them saved, for once sclaffed it, and saw it squirm past two defenders and the keeper, and roll gently into the net.

So at half time we found ourselves in the position, for the first time, of being away from home and having a lead to defend. And at the break, the players were told in no uncertain terms that it was now all about a desire and a will to compete, to win the headers, get tight to people, try to stop the crosses, and that it wasn't going to be easy, because Saints have got some decent players.

Well that is exactly what they did. The bombardment came, and Killie stood up to it. At the end, when Kevin Kyle got the man-of-the-match champagne, he grinned and said he didn't know why he had been given it; it should have gone to a defender. And he was right. Mark Brown in goal, Steven Old, Garry Hay, Frazer Wright, and especially Simon Ford, were immense at the back. Fowler, Hamill and Bryson were tireless, and right to the end Fowler and Hamill were still getting forward and keeping Graeme Smith in the St Johnstone goal honest. And the Kyle/Burchill pairing? That might be worth another try or two.

Jim Jefferies was singing the praises of his two centre-backs at the end for the way they dealt with Deuchar and Samuel, one he rates as one of the best headers of the ball in the league, and the other who is busy on the ground round about him. Simon Ford's experience has been missed. And Jim's last word? Now we take that little bit of luck, try to get a few victories, and if we do, with the league as tight as it is, the whole picture changes.

St Johnstone: Smith, MacKay, Grainger, Rutkiwicz, McCaffrey, Morris, Davidson (MacDonald), Craig (Moon), Morais, Deuchar (Johansson), Samuel

Kilmarnock: Brown, Hay, Fowler, Wright, Ford, Bryson, Taouil (Skelton), Old (O'Leary), Kyle, Hamill, Burchill (Russell)

Referee: Calum Murray