However, an own goal from Sean Clare drew the visitors level and ultimately ensured a deserved point which took them four points behind Hamilton and Dundee, to give Kearney and the Saints fans some encouragement.

Kearney said: "I would have probably have taken one win and one defeat because we would be a point better off. But for the group, the two performances are as important as the two points.

"Carrying the consistency through from last week, we are very happy with that.

"A little bit of finishing in the first half probably let us down from maybe being in the position to grab all three.

"You are hoping that is a real catalyst and brings the group tighter together. It is so important that we keep building. The building block laid last week, we have managed to build on it this week and it is just so important that we do the same next week."

There was a St Mirren penalty claim in the first half when striker Duckens Nazon turned Dikamona on the edge of the box but referee Don Robertson gave a free-kick, with Cammy MacPherson firing well over.

Kearney, whose side conceded four penalties in a recent 4-0 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox, said: "Don't talk to me about penalty decisions, shouts, in and out, and lines, we have had our fair share of those.

"It is hard to know. Instinctively at the time I am shouting penalty but that's probably bias more than anything else. But it looks very very close. I would like to see it back before I made a definite comment."

A "frustrated" Jambos boss Craig Levein admitted his side fell short in various ways.

He said: "We didn't start the game particularly well and brought pressure on ourselves. We didn't pass the ball quickly or accurate enough.

"St Mirren came to do what they came to do. They did it to Aberdeen last week and they did it to us today so all credit to them.

"But when a team does defend a little bit deeper and you have a lot of the ball in front of them, the ball needs to move quickly and it didn't move quickly enough today. And also it wasn't accurate enough. Alongside that we had players who didn't play well."

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