EVER since the introduction of the league split more than a decade ago, finishing in the top six of the Scottish top division has been hailed as some sort of achievement worth celebrating.
There is little material reward for doing so beyond ensuring the season concludes with five games against similarly prosperous sides rather than five against relegation fodder, but that has not prevented it from becoming a target for those teams who find themselves floating around in the middle of the table with little else to play for.
Already at this stage of the season, that would seem to be the extent of the ambitions of both St Johnstone and Kilmarnock. The pair will publically set their sights on claiming a European place - the Perth side are eight points behind fourth-placed Aberdeen - but it would require remarkable consistency over the second half of the season to make that happen. Similarly, relegation is unlikely to become a factor, with Motherwell, Ross County and St Mirren already becoming detached at the bottom. It seems aiming for the top six will be the immediate aims of both Kilmarnock and St Johnstone, goals that can be revised should the start of 2015 proceed better than anticipated.
At the moment, it is Tommy Wright's side who seem the more likely of the two to make a move up the table. This narrow win, courtesy of Brian Graham's late penalty, extended their undefeated streak to six games and allowed them to hop over their vanquished hosts into that coveted sixth spot.
They have had to scrap for every win, with this their ninth victory of the season by a single-goal margin. They are not big scorers - they have not scored more than two in any game - but, similarly, a consistent backline doesn't give much away either. This was their sixth clean sheet of the season, and it was secured in typically combative style, Frazer Wright sustaining a broken nose on his return to Rugby Park.
"The first header I've gone for I have just hit the back of Robbie Muirhead's head," said the former Kilmarnock defender. "I've lost count how many times in my career I've done it and I knew straight away it was broken. The last time I broke it I had to go off as it wouldn't stop bleeding but this time it was fine.
"We had our Christmas night in Dublin after the game so there was no way I was going to hospital to get it checked out. I asked the doc for an anti-sickness tablet at half-time but unfortunately he didn't have any. I just got on with and as the game wore on I started to feel a bit better."
There are few more dependable defences than the St Johnstone four of Dave Mackay, Wright, Steven Anderson and Brian Easton, with Alan Mannus in goal behind them. It is the foundation on which progression has been made.
"We are on a good run and it is great to keep it going," added Wright. "It has been good to get some good wins and some battling draws under our belt. It is great to get back into the top six. Hopefully now we can kick on and stay there."
Kilmarnock, meanwhile, are moving in the other direction. They have not won since inflicting the last league defeat upon St Johnstone in mid-October, this loss extending their recent record to six defeats and a draw from their last seven games.
"The results haven't been good and we need to get back to what we were doing at the start of the season," said midfielder Jamie Hamill. "It is a bad patch we are going through and only the players on the park can get us through it. The gaffer puts so much work into training and it's the players who need to try and do a bit more. Things are not falling for us in the same way as they were earlier in the season.
"I don't think confidence has taken a knock because all the boys are still buzzing to get on the ball. It is hard when you drop three points at home but you are only as good as the next game. We just need to look forward. A lot of the games are tight in this league and it normally comes down to who scores first."
Match stats
1' Alan Mannus makes a smart stop to deprive Robbie Muirhead a goal after 40 seconds.
23' James McFadden's volley is cleared off the line by Mark Connolly.
39' McFadden again threatens, his flick from a corner hitting the crossbar.
83' 0-1 Brian Graham converts the penalty after Chris Chantler brings down Michael O'Halloran.
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