ST MIRREN arrived at Easter Road having confirmed their SPL safety seven days earlier and they recovered well from the loss of two early goals to hold the upper hand for the whole of the second period.

Manager Gus MacPherson was thrilled with his players' response - if not the mistakes that effectively consigned them to a 2-0 defeat against Hibs - and he is also delighted with their progress.

He said: "The difference is night and day compared to what it was 10 months ago, in how they are trying to play. They will still make mistakes and unfortunately they were punished at the weekend because of those mistakes.

"But they are trying to play in the right manner and pass the ball, which is what we're trying to preach."

Danny Invincibile admits the removed threat of relegation has provided Kilmarnock with the freedom to play attractive football for the remainder of the season.

The loss of key players to both injury and other clubs saw the Rugby Park side plummet into the drop zone after enduring a string of poor results, but Jim Jefferies' men have benefited from the plight of crisis club Gretna in the last few weeks.

Gretna's demotion from the SPL eased the burden on the teams above them in the table and that relief was evident as Killie dominated the 0-0 draw with Hearts, and they could count themselves unfortunate to end the match with only a share of the points.

"There is a bit more freedom now," said Invincibile. "When you are battling down at the bottom everyone knows when it comes to relegation it's a bit of a dog-fight.

"People are frightened to be creative in case they lose a silly ball in the middle of the park and lose 1-0, and it could be really costly for the club.

"Our players are playing with freedom and a smile on their face now, especially the creative players."