Kilmarnock and St Mirren were both winners in Paisley as the Ayrshire side picked up a vital win and the Buddies secured a top-six finish.
Stephen Robinson's men will take part in the top six for the first time in their modern history, despite the 2-0 win for Killie.
Two first-half goals from Liam Donnelly and Christian Doidge sealed the all-important win for Killie.
Top six glory for the Buddies
Heading into the match, during the big build-up, it was very much known what St Mirren needed to do to achieve that elusive top six place – the first in their history. Thankfully for them, despite not holding up their end of the bargain, they got exactly what they wanted as a packed SMiSA Stadium roared home the Buddies. Killie ran out 2-0 winners on a sunny afternoon in Paisley, but Dundee United’s victory over Livingston ensured that St Mirren had nothing to worry about. They and Hibs took the final two top six spots in the final game prior to the split. So, it turned out to be the best of both worlds in Paisley, with Stephen Robinson’s men getting exactly what they desired and Killie picking up a vital three points in the bid to survive in the Premiership. They are now four points clear of bottom spot Ross County and remain level on points with United.
Killie finally end their away hoodoo
The Rugby Park outfit hadn’t won on the road this season. In fact, they’d gone over 13 months without a taste of victory away from home. Today was the day that all came to an end. A terrific performance from Derek McInnes’ side secured a huge win for Killie. Liam Donnelly and Christian Doidge scored the first-half goals to seal the glory. And it was no more than the visitors deserved. They totally outplayed St Mirren for the majority of the match and tore them to shreds down the Saints left side. Both games came from nice wing play down that end. Second-half sub Thierry Small was then eventually sent off after thirty seconds of madness which saw the left back booked twice. The travelling Killie faithful have had next to nothing to shout about all season, with just two points picked up until this game. Their 1600 fans were jubilant throughout the afternoon.
Full house in Paisley a joy to behold
This game was what Scottish football is all about. Fans getting right behind their team from the first minute until the last in a full-blooded clash. A sell-out attendance of 7,937 were in Paisley for the game. It shows how good the top flight in our country can be, as well as the potential of both St Mirren and Killie. There’s obviously hope from the Buddies perspective that they’ll have gained some more regular goers from the match. That’s certainly got to have been the aim of the club with the matchday experience for fans. The club shop was packed out prior to the match, and the fairground behind the stadium seemed to be popular too. It might not have been the greatest game on the pitch, but the competitiveness and excitement surrounding the match is exactly what the SPFL should be trying to sell as our product. There must be a push to get more closely matched games on TV, especially with crowds like this turning out, proving that there are more than just two teams in the country.
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