BUILD it and they will come – or so, at least, the saying goes.

The construction of the new East Stand at Easter Road has, however, happened to coincide with the Leith side’s worst campaign since 2004. There is no denying that this has been an arduous term for Colin Calderwood’s team, and all the 46-year-old can now do is simply attempt to lay some solid foundations for next season.

On the basis of this rather mundane performance against St Mirren, there is going to be quite a lot of work required. Hibernian unwittingly highlighted many of their exasperating traits, and often made hard work of containing their opponents. It is generally accepted that there is flair at the core of the squad, desperate to get out and express its individuality, though far too rarely does it come to the fore these days.

This had promised to be a season brimming with potential. In July, under the stewardship of John Hughes, not only did the Europa League beckon, but the Edinburgh club were also looking to build on a fourth-place finish. Indeed, despite the departure of prolific striker Anthony Stokes, the attacking force of Derek Riordan, Liam Miller and Colin Nish seemed as if it could cope with carrying the burden.

However, it is truly a season to forget for Hibs supporters. There have, naturally, been a few highlights -- a fantastic 3-0 victory against Rangers at Ibrox, for example -- but the fact remains that they have not beaten their arch rivals Hearts in almost 24 months, find themselves in the bottom six for the first time in seven years, and fell once again to lower league opposition in the Scottish Cup.

St Mirren, for their part, have been somewhat fortunate to find themselves routinely propped up by Hamilton Academical. There are clearly aspects of the Paisley side’s play that need improving, but Danny Lennon, their manager, is an intriguing character who is doing a commendable job of finding his feet at this level.

A tepid opening was finally brought to life after 20 minutes when Victor Palsson clashed with Jim Goodwin. The former was on the receiving end of a crude challenge from the St Mirren forward, and threw his arms aloft in bemusement after being awarded an unjustified yellow card.

The fiery Icelander was next putting his fists to work -- pumping them in celebration as team-mate Akpo Sodje gave his side the lead moments later. The 31-year-old latched his luminous boots on to Riordan’s inviting through ball, and sent a crisp half-volley well beyond Paul Gallacher in the St Mirren goal.

The hosts’ advantage did not last long. Seven minutes before the break, Palsson was penalised by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Paul McGowan inside the area, Craig Dargo sending Mark Brown the wrong way from the resultant penalty kick.

There was similarly little on offer at the beginning of the second period. Ian Murray flew a close range header wide, before an offside Sodje saw his thunderous volley shoot back off the post with a quarter of an hour remaining. A chorus of boos filled the ground at the final whistle, while the small travelling support’s applause was muted by the overriding frustration of the home fans.

“I don’t think we deserved any more than a point,” said Calderwood. “They were in the ascendency. We didn’t have any quality in the second half, and that’s annoying. We’ve managed to take a point from a poor performance, which is really the only credit we can take from the afternoon.”

Lennon, meanwhile, hailed his battling side. “Over the piece I felt we had the much better chances,” he said. “It’s a brand of football we’re beginning to show on a more regular basis. I’m sorry we haven’t sent the fans home with three points, though. The players deserve more points on the board, considering the effort and performances they always give.”