He said: "It was a good three points and I think we deserved it on the night. We certainly deserved a break after our efforts over the last few weeks.

"We were the only team trying to win it during the second half, really. I thought when Eamonn Brophy hit the post it was going to be one of those nights so it was nice to get the goal. We've been accustomed to winning over the last 17 months so it was good to end the drought.

"The season has been good. It tells you the good work we did earlier in the season that we're still only one point off third position. We can be happy with what we've done so far and look to kick on."

There was praise, too, for goalscorer Millar as the on-loan Liverpool player got his first goal for the club eight minutes after coming on as a 79th-minute substitute.

Clarke added: "He's had to be patient has Liam. He's a talent and he's had to wait a long time to get the chance to show what he can do on the pitch.

"He didn't get too long tonight but he's shown good things in training. It was nice to get him on the pitch and we're all delighted that he got his goal."

St Mirren manager Oran Kearney hoped the setback wouldn't prove too costly as his 12th-placed side look to fight their way out of relegation trouble.

He said: "We experienced a last-minute winner last week and the joys that go with it and then the shoe is on the other foot tonight when we got hit with a sucker blow at the end.

"There were few chances in the game and it was just disappointing that we lacked that clinical edge to take something from it.

"It won't take away from where we're at and if we get another nine performances and that attitude we won't be far away.

"The outcome was disappointing but against a team like Kilmarnock it wasn't the worst performance."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', 'eab5d729-218a-4f5b-9cd6-8918333fac94');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:match-reports');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Steve Clarke believes Kilmarnock deserved their victory over St Mirren'});