ST Mirren manager Alex Rae conceded his team have to improve after a disappointing 1-1 draw at newly promoted Ayr United.

Jamie Adams put the Honest Men in front in the first half and Saints weren't level until the closing stages when tom Walsh headed in.

Rae admitted his players look like they are lacking confidence after four league games without victory.

He said: "They worked away to salvage a point. I'm pleased they did because at half-time I said to them we needed more, we had to be brave and get on the ball.

"It's becoming too easy for us to hit big booming balls up to [John] Sutton, it's an easy option.

"We wanted to try and play through the lines and pick them off to create opportunities. They [the players] are clearly struggling for a bit of confidence at the moment and we just need to keep digging in as a team and as a club.

"I think overall we need to do better."

"I wanted to be aggressive and play three up top. We tried to mix it up a bit, the 4-4-1-1 isn't really working for us so we're trying everything to get some momentum.

"To be honest I'm not seeing a great deal of promising signs at the moment. We are really huffing and puffing, some of our decision making at times is really difficult to watch.

"I'm responsible for that because I brought half of them in so we need to get it right.

"The saving grace of that [the cup game] is it will give us opportunities to bring in one or two who are trying to make their way back to fitness because we are down to the bare bones at the minute."