St Mirren boss Gus McPherson hailed Andy Dorman's efforts in the 1-0 SPL win over Kilmarnock - and says the midfielder can get even better.Dorman was not at his influential best in the Love Street match but he still created the winner for Will Haining in the 90th minute with a terrific free-kick.

It was an exciting conclusion to what McPherson admitted was a poor game - but he was just delighted to keep picking up points even if there is nothing to play for at the end of this season.

With both teams having their SPL status guaranteed due to the travails of Gretna, there was no real pressure on the players.

McPherson said: "It was flat again.

"There were maybe even fewer chance than there were last week!

"It was a fantastic ball in from Andy Dorman though and Will has attacked it and got there before Alan Combe. It's a good time to score.

"That was probably one of Andy's worst performances for us in terms of overall play but he has got that bit of quality that can make something happen. He's a quality player.

"I feel in the last two or three games he's looked a bit jaded and we'll have a look at whether we give him a rest between now and the end of the season.

"I think next season you'll see a fresher Andy Dorman and someone we feel we can improve in terms of getting his runs right from the middle third, when we've got the middle third.

"But we have to be careful because we don't want to take away the goalscoring threat from his game. He's got that priceless knack of being in the right place at the right time in the box."

Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies lamented the lack of a goalscorer in his depleted squad after the defeat in Paisley.

Jefferies had to let Steven Naismith and Colin Nish depart Rugby Park for financial reasons this season - and before that Scotland striker Kris Boyd.

Midfielder Jamie Hamill had his side's best clear-cut chance but he dwelt too long on the ball in the box and his shot was blocked by St Mirren centre-half John Potter.

Jefferies said: "We've let three or four players go away and have operations and we've also got injuries - Simon Ford had to come off today with a hamstring problem for example - so our squad is thin.

"In the first half, we were doing too much chasing back because we didn't pass it properly. In the second half, we got Allan Johnston in the middle and brought on Mehdi Taouil, who can keep the ball and we did much better.

"We definitely improved and had a few little chances in and around the box but they fell to people who aren't natural finishers.

"We probably don't have a natural goalscorer since Steven Naismith and Colin Nish left. They were always liable to come up with a clinical strike.

"The obvious instances are when Danny was right through at the end and turns inside but gives the keeper an easy save.

"In the first half, Jamie Hamill had a great chance when their right back slipped. He couldn't score but if it's a striker with that chance, it's a goal.

Jefferies was also unhappy with the free-kick award which led to Haining's goal.

Referee Crawford Allan gave a foul against Ryan O'Leary for a push on Buddies striker Jim Hamilton.

Jefferies said: "I think Hamilton has used his experience to get himself a free-kick against young O'Leary because it was never a free-kick - in fact, it was a foul to us.

"From the free-kick, our keeper Alan Combe has admitted that he gave a shout to his defenders to let the ball come through to him but Haining has nipped in front of him to score."

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