A RESULT which re-affirmed Kilmarnock's upwardly-mobile intentions also left St Mirren still firmly in the soup. Victory for the Paisley side on Saturday would have all but ensured Premierleague survival ahead of next weekend's portentous meeting with bottom-placed Dunfermline. That game has now become a relegation encounter which should carry a government health warning.

Win, and St Mirren are all but safe. Lose, and their nine-point cushion will be whittled down to six with eight games remaining, thereby handing the momentum to the East End Park side. The latter hardly bears thinking about for a team who have battled doggedly to keep their heads above water this season. Nevertheless, the grim statistic of nine games without a win is responsible for their current predicament.

Not that this latest setback betrayed a loss of nerve from Gus MacPherson's men. True to form, they battled well but simply lacked the requisite quality, particularly in the attacking areas, which might have breached the Kilmarnock rearguard.

"It's a massive game for us but they will want it as much as us," insisted Alan Reid of the Dunfermline clash. "We've got to look at it as a cup final and winning it will really push us onwards and upwards."

MacPherson is also made of stern stuff and was eager to accentuate the positive, in light of Dunfermline's 2-1 reverse at Celtic Park. "The gap is still there and it is something we have to take the positives from," he said. "If someone had offered us a gap of nine points at the start of the season with nine games to go, we would have taken it."

The St Mirren manager also confirmed Rangers have made contact with the club about entering into negotiations with defender Kirk Broadfoot over a pre-contract agreement. The 22-year-old is in the final year of his contract and is free to leave in the summer, though MacPherson insisted no deal has yet been struck.

"We received a phone call from Walter Smith and, the professional guy that he is, he told us his intentions to speak to Broadfoot, but there's nothing further than that. It is very early stages and there's been no agreement put in place between the clubs."

Broadfoot's performances over the past couple of seasons have earned him recognition in the Scotland under-21 set-up but, at times this season, he has struggled to adapt to the Premierleague. He remains anBintelligent, ball-playing defender with good vision, but is far from the finished article and Rangers would undoubtedly be investing in potential. MacPherson expressed his admiration for Broadfoot, who captained St Mirren in Kevin McGowne's absence, but suggested he is not quite ready for the elevated status.

"He's just a kid . . . he's just a kid. He's still learning the game," stressed the St Mirren manager. "He's been a major, major player for us in the past two-and-a-half, three seasons. In the way he conducts himself, he is as good a professional as I have worked with and, if the move comes off, he deserves it."

The much-maligned Colin Nish (Van Nish-telrooy to his fans) emerged as an unlikely hero from a turgid encounter. The Kilmarnock striker's unorthodox style can frustrate at times, but no-one was getting bogged down in aesthetics when he plunged a meaty header into the net on 58 minutes. He was also on hand 12 minutes from time, when he polished off a flowing move involving Steven Naismith and Paul Di Giacomo.

"It's a fantastic result for us," insisted Di Giacomo. "The gaffer expressed how important it was for us to win. We need to make sure we get this top-six place now. The CIS Cup final helps. We all want to play, and I am one good performance away from playing in the final, but the top six has always been our priority."