St Mirren's hopes of winning the Ladbrokes Championship were put on hold until Saturday at least after a narrow 1-0 loss to Dundee United at Tannadice.
Billy King's second minute opener was enough for The Terrors to pick up all three points and see the champagne put back on ice for Saints.
It was a frustrating beginning to a big night for The Buddies as the home side took the lead inside Saints got off to the worst start as United took the lead inside two minutes. Paul McMullan stole in ahead of Liam Smith and played the ball across the box into the path of Billy King who steered the ball home to put United in front.
Saints reacted fairly well with Kyle Magennis sending a free kick just by the left hand post after Cammy Smith had been fouled on eight minutes.
But United troubled The Buddies a few minutes later with Gary MacKenzie having to nod away a curling McMullan shot which looked dangerous.
St Mirren started to step it up though with captain Stephen McGinn playing a wonderful cross-field pass which expertly picked out Lewis Morgan. The winger drove into the box but his effort was blocked.
Adam Eckersley almost added to his strike at Tannadice earlier in the season when he cracked the crossbar on 23 minutes. McGinn played the ball into the path of Ryan Flynn who found Cammy Smith driving forward. Smith sprayed the ball left to Eckersley with the full back bursting into the box and hitting the woodwork from a tight angle.
It was Eckersley who was involved again a few minutes later when his dangerous low ball across the box was only just turned behind by Willo Flood. The corner in found Gary MacKenzie's head and he wasn't a million miles away with a United defender in the six yard box scrambling clear.
The Buddies were desperately unlucky not to be level on the half hour mark. Cammy Smith knocked the ball down the right to Liam Smith who played a lovely low ball into the area where it was met by a quick flick of Danny Mullen's boot but it crashed off the underside of the bar with United blocking Morgan's follow up attempt.
United began trying to draw Saints into a physical battle and had three players booked with Thomas Mikkelsen and Paul McMullan cautioned for poor late challenges on Ryan Flynn and Liam Smith. Mark Durnan joined his teammates in the book before half-time for a foul on Mullen. Morgan attempted the spectacular from the free kick 35 yards out but sent it over.
Half Time: Dundee United 1-0 St Mirren
Saints began the second half brightly and had a penalty claim five minutes after the break when the ball looked like it may have come off a United hand inside the box. Referee Andrew Dallas was unmoved.
The Buddies had a number of set pieces opportunities from free kicks and corners but were failing to make the pressure count. United seemed to grow in belief after the hour mark with Mikkelsen going close but he blasted his effort straight into the arms of Craig Samson.
With 15 minutes to go, Kyle Magennis will have felt he should have done more to test United keeper Deniz from a free kick around 25 yards from goal but the effort was straight at the Turkish goalkeeper.
United could have put the seal on the three points when Billy King tried to wriggle clear of the Saints defence. The ball fell for Sam Stanton who found himself one-on-one with Samson who made a strong save to deny the forward.
John Sutton, a member of the 2005-06 St Mirren league winning side, looked like he might be the hero in the dying embers of the game when he latched on to a long ball inside the box only for Deniz to block.
In the end United hung on and St Mirren's next chance to win the title comes at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday when second place Livingston visit.
Full Time: Dundee United 1-0 St Mirren
St Mirren: Samson, L.Smith, MacKenzie, Davis, Eckersley, McGinn (Sutton 74), Magennis, Flynn, C.Smith (Hippolyte 79), Morgan, Mullen (Reilly 63)
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Stelios, Baird, McShane
Dundee United: Deniz, Ralston, Durnan, Mohsni, Murdoch, Gillespie, Flood, Stanton, King (Glass 90), McMullan (Briels 86), Mikklesen
Subs Not Used: Lewis, Scobbie, Robson, M.Smith, Mason
Referee: Andrew Dallas
Assistant Referee: Paul O'Neill
Assistant Referee: Ross MacLeod
Attendance: 5,905
Match Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography.
