Key defender Darren McGregor was crocked with his second cruciate ligament injury in successive seasons in August against Hibs, and is unlikely to feature again this term.

Then playmaker Paul McGowan was forced to undergo shoulder surgery after injuring the joint last month and is not likely to return until after Christmas.

But, while the bashing at the hands of the Bhoys was painful, the Buddies boss remains upbeat.

He said: "It was a sore one to take, but the one plus for us is that we did not gain any fresh injuries.

"Paul McGowan is now two weeks post op after his shoulder injury, and is another nine to 10 weeks away from returning, while Darren is, of course, even further away.

"So we have not had much luck with injury to key players and at least, although it is small solace, we have avoided adding to these two."

But he is concerned about the mental scar left by the defeat.

He said: "The lads trained well on Monday, but were very quiet. There was a bit more about them yesterday.

"They have shown in the past they can bounce back. We know we need to deliver a response against Dundee United on Saturday."