St Johnstone continued their run of going behind but this time there was no comeback.
The Perth men, who salvaged a point against both Livingston and Hibs in their previous two Premiership matches, couldn’t complete the hat-trick after conceding a 40th minute goal to Kilmarnock.
They can’t keep digging a hole for themselves if they want to move up the table. This result means they are bottom.
Stephen O’Donnell’s winner was a shocker from a Saints point of view.
One moment they were outside the Killie box with a free-kick and then within seconds Liam Millar had run virtually the full length of the pitch unchallenged before some half-hearted penalty box defending resulted in O’Donnell scoring from close-range.
There had been a controversial disallowed goal for Saints six minutes earlier, though.
When a cleared corner was guided back into the box Michael O’Halloran headed the ball into the net but he was flagged offside.  It was a close, close call.
Stevie May made his second debut for Saints as a second half substitute and Drey Wright also got on the pitch but the hosts weren’t able to snatch an equaliser, with Murray Davidson coming closest in injury time.
There was also a penalty shout from a May shot but there was to be no happy ending for the homecoming hero.
