Alex Gogic confident St Mirren will find top-six form again this season

Alex Gogic is confident St Mirren will find top-six form again this season despite Saturday’s 2-2 draw against 10-man Kilmarnock leaving them seven games without a win.

The Buddies’ fifth-placed finish last season put Stephen Robinson’s side into the Conference League second qualifying round where, after beating Valur from Iceland, they were knocked out by Norwegian side Brann, after which they went three games without a win.

Saints were handed a perfect start against Killie in Paisley when striker Toyosi Olusanya scored with a header after seven minutes before Marley Watkins levelled for Killie four minutes later.

Buddies skipper Mark O’Hara restored the home side’s lead with a penalty in the 40th minute before Kilmarnock defender Joe Wright was sent off after a clash with defender Shaun Rooney.

Derek McInnes’ battling side levelled again in the 70th minute with an own goal from Jonah Ayunga and fellow Saints substitute James Scott had the ball in the net in the closing stages only to see it chalked off for a foul.

But Gogic looked forward with optimism, saying: “Okay, we played in Europe but that’s gone past.

“We had great training sessions, we are back on the pitch, everything. There’s no excuse, really.

“Last year we started very well collecting points in the first couple of games, but still, it is a long season and we’re collecting points, even on Saturday, even in the last draw against Dundee, it’s getting points.

“We’ve put our standards high because we know we can do it, we’ve proved it two years in a row, and that’s our aim.

“And the gaffer knows what players he has, and with the players he’s brought in, it’s even better. So I think everything will be fine.

“We could have done better (on Saturday), for sure, maybe delivered more balls, tested their defence a bit more, a bit more side-to-side, but fair play to them.

“Second half, I think we could have probably done more. But again, it’s frustrating because they didn’t really do much.

“It was just two set-pieces (conceded goals). So if you take that out, then maybe, but I think we should have done better.”