Today’s game started with Saints hoping to do better against Kilmarnock than they did last season, and in the 7th minute things were looking good for Saints when Toyosi Olusanya’s glancing header put St Mirren in front.
However, within four minutes Kilmarnock were level when in the 11th minute Watkins turned a shot from Danny Armstrong into the Saints net.
There were a number of heavy tackles in the first half and in the 16th minute Saint’s Mandron received a yellow card and in the 20th minute he was substituted after a second heavy tackle which he was lucky to get away with.
In the 41st minute Saints were awarded a penalty when a Rooney shot hit Wright on his arm and VAR intervened, Saint’s O’Hara stepped up and stroked the ball past Kilmarnock’s O’Hara to put Saints 2 – 1 in front.
With the first half about to draw to a close VAR intervened again when they ruled that Kilmarnock’s Wright had hit Saint’s Rooney in his midriff and the Kilmarnock player received a red card. Half time 2 – 1 to Saints and Kilmarnock down to 10 men.
You could be forgiven for thinking Saints would go on and win the match but Kilmarnock had other ideas and they had most of the pressure during the 2nd half and in the 71st minute Saint’s Ayunga turned a Kilmarnock corner into his own net and it was now 2 – 2.
With the game nearing its end Saints thought they had won when James Scott turned the ball into the net, but VAR intervened again and ruled that there had been an earlier infringement and the goal was disallowed.
The game finished 2 -2 and a draw was just about right.
Photo: Saint’s Gogic and Kilmarnock’s Vassell in a tussle for the ball
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News
Photo: Saints’s Ayunga bursts through the Kilmarnock defence
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News
Photo: Saint’s Boyd-Munce has a shot at goal
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News
Photo: Kilmarnock’s O’Hara can’t stop Saint’s O’Hara from scoring his penalty
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News
Photo: Saint’s Brown races past Kilmarnock’s Armstrong
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News
Photo: Saint’s Olusanya watches as his header beats the Killie keeper to put Saints 1-0 in front
Photo Credit: Hugh McMillan / Renfrewshire News