Dunfermline captain Austin McCann admitted a half-time dressing room blast from Jim McIntyre was the key to his side almost snatching an unlikely draw in Paisley on Saturday.
The Pars were lucky to be only two down midway through the game after slick Saints had passed their way through them at will but wasted a host of clear opportunities.
However, the second half proved a different affair as more aggression and a pair of key substitutions changed the nature of the game and almost altered the outcome.
The defender said standards had dropped drastically from the win over Hibs a fortnight ago.
“The manager went through us at half-time because he wasn’t happy after coming from Easter Road and playing so well. He had a go at us to try and get closer to them.
“The defence and the strikers were too far apart and that creates space for their creative players to get into those spaces. We got in about them the second half and got good subs on and we were in the ascendancy at the end of the game.
“We did leave ourselves open at the back but that will happen when you’re pushing forward to get the equaliser. We were desperately unlucky not to get the second goal and it would have been interesting if we had but when you go in 2-0 down away from home in the SPL, it gives you too much to do.”
McCann was brave enough to hold his hands up for his horrendous error which led to St Mirren’s killer second goal on the stroke of half-time. He delayed on the ball deep in his own half, allowing Steven Thompson to rob him and send an inch-perfect ball into strike partner Nigel Hasselbaink to convert.
He explained: “I took a pass and was looking for an outlet but couldn’t see one so I stupidly tried to turn back inside and got caught. When you’re a defender you get punished for these things it was disappointing.”
It was no more than the dominant Buddies deserved. They had already had a strong penalty shout denied, seen a goal-bound shot blocked by their own player and forced a good save from Paul Gallacher when Kenny McLean headed in the opener on 25 minutes.
Gallacher then pulled out a stunning point-blank save from McLean after Dunfermline were cut apart by a mesmerising passage of St Mirren passing.
Not to be outdone, opposite keeper Craig Samson blocked a close-range Andy Kirk effort from impressive youngster Paul Willis’ free-kick. Other than a Ryan Thomson header wide, it was their only first half incursion into the St Mirren box.
The home side remained in cruise control until the introduction of Andy Barrowman and Joe Cardle on the hour. Just three minutes later the 524 Dunfermline fans in the 4,363 crowd had something to shout about as Cardle sent in a wicked cross which was flicked by Thomson on to the post, from where it rebounded into the net off the helpless Samson.
The game became stretched as Dunfermline went all out for an equaliser and, although St Mirren crafted better chances, the Fifers could have grabbed a point through late efforts by Cardle and Thomson.
Manager Jim McIntyre bemoaned his side’s insipid start.
He said: “St Mirren were the better side in the first half and the second goal was a killer, through our own fault. There was nothing wrong with the work ethic but our communication from front to back wasn’t good enough.”