Falkirk 1 - 2 St Mirren: The Advent calendars have only been up for a week or so but the spirit of the festive season was very much evident at a wintry Falkirk Stadium on Saturday.

The Advent calendars have only been up for a week or so but the spirit of the festive season was very much evident at a wintry Falkirk Stadium on Saturday. As well as gifts for both sides, there was also an unprecedented gesture of goodwill and an incident so unexpected it must go down as something of a Christmas miracle.

That St Mirren won their first league game in nine attempts was cause enough to arch the eyebrows in surprise but it was the identity of the match-winning hero that had those in attendance truly rubbing their eyes in disbelief in case too much festive cheer had played tricks with their vision. And little wonder.

Dennis Wyness had been a marksman of some repute with Inverness Caledonian Thistle but had thus far failed to net since joining St Mirren in the summer, extending a drought in front of goal to a frustrating 14 months.

The celebrations that followed his tap-in here, therefore, were presumably as much an expression of relief as they were of joy. Wyness, an unassuming, bashful character, declined the opportunity to chat about finally breaking his duck but Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, was happy to lavish praise on the striker in his absence.

"I'm delighted for Dennis because he has been playing well," said MacPherson. "His link-up play has been superb and his work-rate is second to none. He deserves it. Everyone was asking questions because of his miss against Dundee United last week but good players keep putting themselves up to the plate."

It seems the season of goodwill to all men, or most men at least, even stretches to include a kind word or two for our beleaguered match officials. Dougie McDonald, the referee, had infuriated the visiting players and supporters by overruling his assistant's raised flag for offside as Steve Lovell knocked in Falkirk's equalising goal from close range. Jack Ross, the St Mirren defender, angrily approached McDonald for an explanation and was suitably satisfied and chastened by the response he received.

Players praising match officials is unlikely to become the new fad in dressing rooms up and down the country so it was refreshing to hear Ross' honest recollection of the situation.

"To be fair to Dougie McDonald, I have to give him credit," said Ross to a huddle of shocked pressmen. "I had a wee go at him as soon as he allowed the goal after speaking to his assistant but he took me aside and explained it to me. The linesman had thought the ball had been flicked on by a Falkirk player and so Lovell would have been offside.

"Dougie said it was Mark Howard the St Mirren goalkeeper who miscued his punch. I think referees do get a hard time in the main but he got the decision right and he's taken the time to explain it. It's nice to have that relationship with them."

St Mirren, after a winless November, were worthy of the victory, even if the wastefulness that has plagued their play all season was again a regular feature here. Their relief was almost tangible when Jim Hamilton tapped in a first-half goal.

The result, combined with Hamilton's thrashing at Ibrox, lifts St Mirren off the foot of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, although the extent of their ambition in the second half of the campaign will surely extend beyond simply fighting to avoid relegation for the third season in succession.

Falkirk, despite this setback, will also surely continue to plot an upward trajectory. Their aspirations of victory seemed to be weakened when Jackie McNamara was deservedly sent off for a vicious lunge at Hamilton but, curiously, they seemed more direct and dangerous once streamlined into a 4-2-3 formation. That positive thinking brought about Lovell's equaliser although the cavalier approach also led to their downfall, Dorman allowed to canter into the Falkirk penalty box to find Wyness for the winning goal.