SEAN KELLY has delivered a damning verdict on St Mirren this season after seeing the Buddies slump to another Premiership defeat against Partick Thistle.

Tommy Craig's side turned in an abject display as Christie Elliott netted the only goal of the game to give the Jags a deserved win.

In a low quality encounter, St Mirren failed to trouble Jags keeper Scott Fox or clear their lines when Elliott collected Declan McDaid's cross to fire home the winner.

Victory for Ross County at Kilmarnock means the Saints are now second bottom but only on goal difference.

Defender Kelly said: "We can't sit here and say we are doing all right because we are not doing all right. We are joint bottom of the league.

"It is a harsh lesson and we need to improve quickly. This was a game we wanted to win against a team that is down in the bottom six.

"Everyone needs a bit of honesty to realise we are far from good enough at the moment.

"You can easily go on a run. We need to start scoring goals and keeping a few clean sheets and that would give us a base.

"Fortunately, County have kept on losing, but it was only a matter of time before they won a game. We are trying to improve every day and get a win from somewhere. It might look as if we are not doing enough, but it is not through a lack of effort.

"We are missing something and I can't put my finger on it. If I could we would sort it."

Defeat to the Jags extends St Mirren's shocking form on home soil as they once again failed to give the Paisley faithful anything to shout about.

Boss Craig was without a number of key men, including Jim Goodwin, Isaac Osbourne and Gregg Wylde, for the Jags clash and Saints' lack of quality shone through on Saturday.

But Kelly insists there are no excuses for their barren run as they head into the international break with plenty of questions needing answered.

He said: "I could sit here and say we need a break, but that is the easy way out.

"It is far from good enough. especially when we haven't done anything to test their keeper or done well enough at the back to keep a clean sheet.

"We need to give ourselves a chance at both ends of the pitch. It is pretty subdued at the moment and everyone is bitterly disappointed.

"We know what it takes having been in a similar situation last year at the start of the season.

"It never went on this long, though. I hope in the next game in a couple of weeks we get a reaction."