THE player defended the manager after the match, as is customary.

Addressing the barrage directed at Kilmarnock's Allan Johnston, he said: "It's ridiculous. He's just in the door. I can understand the frustrations of the fans. Obviously I want the team to win, but everybody needs to come together, pull in the right direction and get behind the team."

What was unusual about this particularly staunch rejoinder was that it came from an opposition player. Gary McDonald, the St Johnstone midfielder, allowed himself a wince at the team he grew up watching, although his side's impressive performance yesterday was distinctly unsympathetic.

"I'm a Kilmarnock supporter so it's not nice to see them down there," he said. "I'm fully focused on us doing well. Once the game starts it doesn't make any difference. In the build-up, obviously . . . I've got a lot of good pals in there; still speak to them and that."

By this point, Kilmarnock had produced one of the worst SPFL Premiership displays you are ever likely to see. This, despite a reasonably bright start.

Sammy Clingan swung a free-kick into the six-yard box and, as it was allowed to drop, the crowd gasped. Kris Boyd, though, could not execute one of his clinical touches. A Boyd volley then looped harmlessly into the arms of Alan Mannus.

From that point on, though, the visitors' performance did not so much go downhill as flail desperately off a cliff - their 69th-minute goal an illusory foothold that failed to stem their inexorable fall.

For the opposition, David Wotherspoon, with a quick glance up, hit a long pass - with backspin - beyond Kilmarnock's defence into the stride of Nigel Hasselbaink. The striker was cool; Craig Samson managed to get a desperate touch but the ball trundled into the bottom-left corner.

"After two wins in a row we thought we could have changed our season," said Manuel Pascali, the Kilmarnock midfielder, who had started to pull down Hasselbaink before thinking better of it. "But now we are back in the same situation. There are no excuses. We were second best all over the pitch. The only thing we can do is watch ourselves in the mirror and say we are not good enough. The first person to the last people on the staff has to be blamed, myself included."

The match resulted in four yellow cards, but only to two players. Jackson Irvine was debatably booked for diving in the first half, and his second was even harsher. The midfielder - playing on the left wing - slid in on the charging Chris Millar, who was scampering towards the Kilmarnock box. It was perhaps a little reckless: but it was also a good tackle that captured the ball. Referee Willie Collum thought differently, and issued the player with his second booking. Irvine stood disbelieving, turning to the assistant, pleading with them to see sense. Unfortunately for him, they didn't.

By that point, St Johnstone were already in control. Mark O'Hara had inexplicably left a hopeful Gary Miller through ball, and Stevie May - blustering and dangerous throughout - galloped on to the mistake and proceeded to not make another one, thumping past the diving Samson.

"The sending-off was probably the worst thing that could have happened," said McDonald. "We took the foot off the gas and they started to get the ball a wee bit more. We stood off them and they started playing. But we've got boys in the team who are on fire at the moment."s

There was still time for a May penalty - won after Jeroen Tesselaar tripped the striker - but Samson denied him a hat trick with a great save, diving to his right.

Darren Barr's quickfire double booking at the end mattered little this week, but may have dire consequences for the next fixture, when Kilmarnock will have to make do without his experience at home to Motherwell.

The visitors' ineptitude should take nothing away from the home side's ebullience. Tommy Wright's players left the ground as exuberant as they had walked on to the pitch. Even Sean Clohessy's late mis-hit cross - it sailed into the top-left corner and he did not celebrate - was not enough to spoil their mood.

Not everyone was happy, though. "We want Johnston out," the Kilmarnock fans chanted into the dark sky.