SEVEN goals, a penalty saved, a red card and a last-gasp winner.

You didn't need tickets for the Mod to find entertainment in Paisley yesterday.

At the end of a breathless, boisterous encounter, it was Danny Lennon's St Mirren who emerged triumphant - but only just. Steven Thompson's close-range jab in the last knockings gave the hosts their first home win of the season and thwarted a never-say-die St Johnstone.

Three times the visitors fell behind, and three times they fought back before Thompson delivered the knock-out blow.

It's now two wins on the trot for Lennon's upwardly mobile men. Embattled and under pressure for much of the season, they now appear galvanised.

"It's small steps we have taken these last couple of weeks but we've got to keep climbing; there's no elevator to success," he said. "The players have showed great character and great strength.

"Something has dropped in that dressing room, and I said that to them afterwards. I don't know if they've had a get-together or not, but there's a clear unity and a clear team spirit. By God, do they support their team-mates out there. It's a great environment to be in."

The crowd only had to wait eight minutes for the first thrill. The St Johnstone defenders were waiting for an offside flag that never came and Paul McGowan's knock-through caught the visiting backline plootering. As they dithered and debated, Kenny McLean ambled in unhindered to stroke a tidy finish past the flailing hands of Alan Manus.

There was plenty of endeavour by both sides and, on 16 minutes, it was the turn of the Perth Saints to go marching in.

Stevie May slid a neat pass into Nigel Hasselbaink and his angled effort across the goal -he'll probably maintain it was a pass - was poked into the net by the sliding Steven MacLean.

It was lively, eventful stuff as both sides went on the offensive. Hasselbaink, a stocky, bustling bundle of menace who swapped Paisley for Perth two summers ago, almost took a bite out of the hand that used to feed him on the half hour. A swivel on the edge of the box opened things up and his curling strike was superbly palmed to safety by Christopher Dilo in the St Mirren goal.

The second half ignited with two rapid-fire goals just before the hour. From just inside St Johnstone territory, Lee Mair side-footed a pass through the middle that seemed to evade a cast of thousands. While the visitors again looked for an offside flag, McGowan took advantage and slid a nice finish past Manus.

Within a couple of minutes St Johnstone were level again. Chris Millar jinked his way to the by-line and his dangerous cut-back was thumped into the net by the lurking Hasselbaink.

On 65 minutes, McLean was dunted over in the box but Goodwin's penalty was saved by Manus. The St Johnstone keeper couldn't spare his side from the spot a second time 10 minutes later after McGowan was sent tumbling by Frazer Wright, who got a straight red, and McLean lashed in the penalty.

"It seems you're not allowed to use physical strength," said frustrated St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright.

Against 10 men, and in command, St Mirren should have been home and hosed but, from a raking cross by May, substitute Rory Fallon took everyone by surprise and tiptoed in at the back post to thump in the equaliser with six minutes left. There was just time for a final twist in the tale as a McLean cross was nodded into the danger zone by Darren McGregor and Thompson steered in the decisive goal.

"It was bread-and-butter stuff and we should have dealt with that," lamented Wright.