There were a couple of markers laid for Callum Booth at Rugby Park – the point that got St Johnstone off the foot of the table and his debut for the McDiarmid Park side.
The full-back is optimistic that both can take root as Saints look to engineer a route to safety.
Frustratingly, Tommy Wright’s side are left to kick their heels this weekend with the League Cup final taking place.
It is next weekend at Tynecastle before they will be back at action against Hearts but Booth is aware that they need to sustain some of the industry and endeavor from the point they took off Killie on Wednesday night.
“It would be nice to keep my place for the game at Tynecastle,” said the former Dundee United player.
“We will have a tough week training next week and then prepare for that game.
“We will see what the manager does but I thought the starting 11 played really well so the manager has options.
“We have had good results in the past, such as the draw against Aberdeen a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t been able to build on it.
“Hopefully, we can properly build on this and go on a decent run.
“Our fixtures are not too bad between now and the winter break so hopefully this time we have turned a bit of a corner.
“It was a tough game on Wednesday but we played well and the clean sheet was vital.”
It was the first appearance for Booth since the end of May, with the 28-year-old anticipating some heavy legs over the next day or two. However, having finally got himself into the team he is determined to hang on to the shirt.
“I felt not too bad, although I don’t know how it looked!” he joked.
“I was tempted to get forward a bit because I felt not too bad but I will probably be stiff over the next couple of days. That was my first game in the best part of six months so it was a long time coming.
“It is always tough but I knew the situation when I came here.
“I had difficult circumstances in the summer and I knew that I would have to be patient because Scott Tanser is a really good player and has done well here for a few years.
“I knew I would have to train away, stay injury-free and then try to take my chance whenever it came my way. I was delighted to make my first start and hopefully it is the first of many.”
The frustrating thing about not playing this weekend is that it gives those around St Johnstone at the bottom a chance to pull away. Hearts play Motherwell at Fir Park while something will have to give between Hamilton and St Mirren.
“We might be back down there on Saturday night,” said Booth.
“But there are a lot of teams battling away down there.
“We go to Hearts next and it could be a chance to go above them. So we have to see this as an opportuniy to build on something – hopefully we can do that.”
