LISTEN: Houston asks questions of first half performance

The Bairns took three points and moved to third in the Ladbrokes SPFL Championship table, but the boss was unhappy with the first half display bwefore his side ground out the victory.

He said: “We got there in the end but really disappointed in our first half performance.

“It takes me to go in at half-time and rattle them up a bit because I thought St Mirren started the game better, until the sending off, so I’m sure Jack [Ross] will be disappointed with that. I can’t understand it – he threw a punch – I just thought it was a tangle of two players which you see during matches.

“That can have a bearing on the game they were 1-0 up and had to hang onto it and it’s not easy. We had to do that recently at Easter Road.

“We had to take advantage of that one man and we were patient but within two minutes of the second half Myles Hippolyte

sends in his first cross of the game and it’s a goal.

“We eventually got there but it’s hard to watch. Last year we didn’t need a rattle of the players.

“Our tempo wasn’t high enough, and we ask ourselves questions about the first half performance because it wasn’t good enough.”

The boss praised St Mirren’s “good young players” and added: “We had to be careful and not over-commit with the extra man.

“We scored three at home but we shouldn’t need to fight in such a way where we need a second half like that – we should be at it from the start.

“It is slightly concerning me this season so far is we have done better away from home in some ways. We shouldn’t have to fight to win matches.

“I am delighted with the three points though. Football is difficult at times but we have to learn from the first half – it wasn’t good enough and the players agree.”