By Kyle Gunn

ST Mirren boss Oran Kearney believes he’s getting through to his players as they get ready to travel across to Hibs tonight.

Saints faced Neil Lennon’s side in September and narrowly lost 1-0.

And Kearney admitted he would take a repeat performance this time out.

He said: "I think we’ve got fitter and bar Saturday we’d eradicated quite a few of the mistakes which had cost us earlier in the season. 

"At the same stretch I’m happy with the progress. I do feel the players need help and January will be important to give the group a lift.

"It’s particular areas of the pitch. We are over our quota so it’s safe to say more will leave than sign. We are at 27 or 28 which is too many.

"That day we were super especially in the second half. We were disappointed not to take anything. The performance was right on the money and I’d accept that level again this time."

Saints failed to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season after falling to a 3-1 defeat against Hamilton at the weekend.

Kearney was particularly frustrated with the first two goals conceded.

He continued: "To concede two goals from a set-piece like that you shoot yourself in the foot and leave yourself with a mountain to climb. It’s probably more frustrating more than anything else. Statistically it’s five or six games since we conceded from a set-piece. That’s probably 40 to 45 corners we’d defended successfully. It was a problem when I first came in and we did a lot of work to try to put it right.

"But football is strange. We coped so well. The majority of people did their jobs really well, it was just one player going to sleep for a split-second that did for us. 

"We’ve shown we can deal with that side. You have to be drawing a blank from set-pieces to give yourself a chance. Deal with the first set-pieces the way we have recently and we have ourselves a match."